The Wars of Legends 3 - The Great War of the Pharaohs
by Nameless2210
Summary: [AU] [Also a crossover with Stargate] The sun god dies and the galaxy is consumed by war. Out of this chaos three queens strive to reshape the galaxy for the better. Will they succeed or will they be swept aside by tides of darkness? [X-posted on AO3] [Femslash!] [Fem!Harry] [Trigger warnings at the start of each chapter] [Mainly set in the Stargateverse]
1. Prologue: Dark Prophecy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Prologue: Dark Prophecy**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Deep in the bowels of London, far from the eyes of most of its residents, there was a cold chamber with a ceiling as high as a cathedral. It was filled with row upon row of towering shelves. Each of these shelves held hundreds of small, dusty, glass orbs, each with a yellowed and dusty label affixed below. It's only light provided by candle-brackets set at intervals along the shelves holding blue-flame candles that gave it a haunting atmosphere.

On this day, the room was completely empty of mortals and yet a ghostly voice resounded through its many shelves.

_In the early years of the 3rd Millennium there is only war._

_The millennium old empire of the pretender god kings crumbles as foes old and new beset it from all sides_

_From hidden strongholds, the oncoming storm and the shadow king lead their legions in pursuit of total dominion. One driven by love and the other by pure lust for power._

_From distant stars, comes the nigh endless tides of the machine and the fanatical hordes of the flaming tyrants. Each bent on reshaping all in their own image._

_From ancient lore, champions of good stride forth to combat the darkness. These warriors of the First Men and from the survivors of a long forgotten war, fight to keep the flames of freedom alive in a world gone mad._

_In the early years of the 3rd Millennium there is only war._

_In realms innumerable the war is unending. Countless die for increasingly futile causes as the grand rulers of fate ceaselessly play their ever ever more labyrinthine power games. _

_In such dark times hope grows ever dimmer._

_Is this to be our destiny? Only time will tell. All that is certain is that in the early years of the 3rd Millennium there is only war._

As the voice trailed off, its grim prophecy made, the Ascended Being Ganos Lal put its source, one of the countless dusty orbs labelled "Seer Avelorn to Merlin and Morgana Le Fay - Fate of the world" back onto its shelf in the British Ministry of Magic's Hall of Prophecy.

_Is that really our world's fate? To be consumed in endless war?_ The ancient woman said as she looked at the unassuming ball of glass with worried and tired eyes. _Have everything we have done to avert this future been in vain? _

"So you _are _here again," the voice of her old friend Oma Desala said as she teleported to stand behind her. "Ganos, you need to stop letting this prophecy hang over your head like this."

"I know," the woman who was once called Morgana Le Fay told her fellow Ascended. "But it is hard not to worry when the time of the prophecy is coming ever closer."

"I understand, but you mustn't allow the incomplete and unclear warnings of a possible future cloud your judgement."

"I know," Ganos said once more. "But nevertheless I still worry."

"Worrying is fine," Oma told her, giving her arm a comforting squeeze. "But do not allow it to consume you."

Ganos just nodded.

This didn't seem to fully assuage Oma's worries if her frown was any indication, but she let the matter go.

"Why don't we make a move for now?" Oma suggested. "Staying here won't do you any good."

"Lead the way," Ganos said with a tentative smile.

Her friend looked at her with continued concern but still surrounded herself with her golden energy and teleported away. Following suit a moment later, Ganos took the time that her power took hold of her body in preparation for the teleport to shoot the prophecy orb one last worried look.

_Is this truly what the future will bring?_

* * *

**And the prologue for my the longest book in Wars of Legends is done!**

**I hope you liked it and had fun trying to decipher the references I made in that little prophecy.**

**Since this is just the prologue and one littered with **_**tons **_**of foreshadowing at that, I don't really have anything to add here. At least nothing that won't be huge spoilers for the rest of the fic. **

**If you've found this story in this Book, you might want to read the preceding books first. Book 1 is ****The Wars of Legends - The Apotheosis of a Lost Child and Book 2 is** **The Wars of Legends - Bats Rising******, both of which can be found on my profile.****

**I think that's it folks, so till next time ciao~!**


	2. Opening Moves - Paradigm Shift

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 1: Opening Moves - Paradigm Shift**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

On the contested world of Tono and within the central courtyard of a Japanese style castle, Ma'toc clad in power armor that looked almost identical to standard Jaffa armor but which was bulked up to accommodate all the strength enhancing frame and other devices that made the armor worthwhile was advancing with his elite guard of equally well equipped Jaffa towards a heavy firefight on the other side of the open space from his current position.

Form a distance, none would be able to tell they were the command squad of the System Lord Nimue's First Prime, for their power armor contrary to most variants were specifically designed to emulate as far as possible the appearance of standard Jaffa armor. Thus despite their high value as a target, little enemy fire flew their way as they made their way to the fighting.

"Hurry," He ordered his men as bolts of lightning shot out of the fortified building that remained the last holdout to his Lady's invasion. "The men there look like they need support."

_And if we take that building we'll finally finish this battle once and for all._ He thought but didn't say. Not that he needed to. His men were all veterans, and being his personal escorts were privy to the same tactical and strategic information as he was. They _knew _that this skirmish would be the last fighting of this campaign. Most of Susanoo's Jaffa on the rest of the planet had already either surrendered or been annihilated.

"Master, it looks like the enemy are mainly Storm Guard," one of his lieutenants observed as they got closer and saw the relatively few plasma bolts being shot back at his men, at least in comparison to the literal forks of lightning.

That was a clear sign that the young officer was likely correct. Only the Storm Guard, Susanoo's praetorian guard, had access to the lightning throwing weapons their god had developed.

Taking a glance at the enemy just as he slid into cover behind a large stone planter and barely avoiding a bolt of lightning, only confirmed the assessment for Ma'toc. The majority of Jaffa holding the building were dressed in the bulky blinding white power armor and elaborate helmets emblazoned with a variety of lightning bolt designs that Susanoo issued to his elite.

_They'll be a problem. _Ma'toc mused. _The shields on their power armor especially._

Surveying the state of his men just further firmed up this assessment, all around and hidden behind cover of various types were dozens of his Lady's Jaffa all pinned down by the enemy's deadly fire and only barely able to return the occasional potshot. Thankfully, their sheer numerical advantage meant that they were keeping the enemy contained but it was insufficient to storm the building.

_I'm getting too old for this._

At almost 20,000 years, Ma'toc was ancient. Ancient enough that he had long since stopped keeping track of his proper age. He had been able to reach this phenomenal age for his race due to having been granted the great honor by his liege to use her modified sarcophagus and its life extending healing power. The same treatment had allowed him to continue to still be physically as fit as he was when he was in his prime.

_Yet, I can still feel my age is catching up to me somehow._

Though perhaps it was the still odd lack of the pouch for the larval Goa'uld that his other Jaffa kin possessed. It had been removed thousands of years ago as a side effect of his first use of the sarcophagus treatment alongside the gift of a proper immune system, but yet he _still _felt strange without it sometimes.

An explosion to his right, the result of a concentrated lightning blast that destroyed the cover of a squad of his men, drove these thoughts out of his mind and he refocused his attention on the present.

"How many Stormtroopers do we have in the area?" The First Prime asked to his adjutant, who quickly referred to his HUD to try and acquire the requested information. No easy feat during an ongoing battle and the confusion it created.

Waiting on the report, he tried to do a manual headcount of the heavy troopers in his queen's armies nearby. Their power armor, more bulky than his own and more akin to those used by the Storm Guard, made them stand out like a sore thumb amidst the friendly forces.

Their sheer number, whilst still insufficient by his visual count to storm the enemy stronghold, nevertheless filled him with pride. It was a sign that unlike the foolish Susanoo who had reserved his greatest technological marvels for only his elite troops, _his queen_ had equipped her soldiers with as much of it as possible. It was by her edict that each squad of her Jaffa troops would be assigned with one suit for their designated heavy weapons trooper. The suits alongside the accompanying variety of weapons, ranging from light staff cannons to rotary staff weapons, allowed said soldier to carry out his role with brutal efficiency.

"There's thirteen Stormtroopers in the courtyard, sir." His adjutant reported after a moment. "But there's a dedicated Heavy Weapons Team en route. ETA is five minutes."

Ma'toc nodded.

"Tell everyone that once the HWT is in position that we're making a push."

"Yes, sir."

"Really wish the corridors leading up here weren't so narrow," Ma'toc lamented. "A Fan'ca would be a lifesaver right now."

The Fan'ca troop carriers were one of the other innovations his queen had introduced into her armies to make them more effective. With their rapid fire plasma repeaters and shields, having even one of the pyramidal hover vehicles at his disposal now would be invaluable.

_And the other System Lords dismissed them as a waste of resources!_ The First Prime scoffed, thinking back to how the machines had allowed them to blitz right through Susanoo's heavily fortified lines. _I'm betting that now that they've proven their worth, the other System Lords will rush to copy it like they do with every successful innovation she makes._

"Hey old man," a Stormtrooper nearby shouted suddenly.

"Yes, young man?" The First Prime replied pleasantly, not at all ruffled by the junior soldier's disrespect. His armor was after all designed to make it harder to identify him for who he was.

"The name's Shetan, remember it." The Stormtrooper replied cockily. "Anyways, just wanted to tell you that I heard what you said about the Fan'cas and want to let you know that you'll full of crap. All we need is a little more power armored bodies and this'll be over in a flash."

"That's true," Ma'toc agreed. Gathering more Stormtroopers to storm the stronghold _was_ his plan after all.

"See, that means if anything is the greatest gift from Lady Nimue it's power armor!"

"Oh shut up, Shetan!" Another nearby Stormtrooper, a woman by the sound of her voice, cut in. This was a surprise in the predominantly male armies of the Lady. "You know that the only reason that the power armor is considered superior to armor vehicles is that it reached maturity as a technology first. Just look at how much more combat potential those Fan'cas have."

"Oh shove it Ruilan, you insuffer-"

"Young ones," Ma'toc said as sternly as his thousands of years in command had trained him to be. Which considering his soft spoken words alone silenced both bickering soldiers, must have been quite a lot.

"Do remember that while we are currently just waiting, we are still in the middle of a battle and under enemy fire."

To prove his point, the ancient Jaffa gestured to the veritable storm of lightning that was arcing all around their cover alongside the fewer but still constant barrage of standard plasma bolts being shot their way.

"Besides, you are both wrong." The First Prime added, unwilling to allow his juniors to have the last word in their little debate. "The best gift the goddess could give us now would be orbital bombardment or air support. Unfortunately, neither are options at the moment since we are fighting in such tight quarters and want the target intact."

_Or at least not until the gunships the R&D Ministry was talking about enter service._

"Sir," his adjutant said suddenly, getting his attention. "The HWT is in position."

"Good! Let's finish this." Ma'toc declared as he tapped into the integrated comms of his armor and issued his order. "All Stormtroopers charge at the enemy and draw their fire."

At once, all the Stormtroopers, even the surprised Shetan and Ruilan who had only now realized _who _they were debating with, obeyed and jumped out of cover and advanced at the enemy held building while furiously firing their various heavy weapons. The enemy responded as he expected and all but stopped their suppressive fire to focus instead on the heavy troopers, which weathered the onslaught with their suits' shields.

"Everyone charge while the Stormtroopers have them distracted!" Ma'toc barked as he popped out of cover and leveling his staff weapon at the enemy began firing as quickly as he was able, whilst simultaneously moving out from behind the battered stone planter and towards the enemy stronghold.

All around him, hundreds of his men followed his lead and braved the deadly no man's land that Susanoo's troops had created around their final holdout. Dozens of them fell to the enemy as they quickly shifted their fire off the Stormtroopers once more, but this just left them open to the heavy trooper's powerful weapons which ravaged their forces. Soon faced with the combined assault of a vastly numerically superior foe, the dozens of remaining enemy defenders started to fall like wheat before the scythe.

Watching from amid the former killing field as the Stormtroopers of the HWT stormed the building to kill any enemy stragglers and secure the Chappa'ai within, Ma'toc smiled in satisfaction at a job well done for a moment before turning his attention elsewhere.

"Once the Chappa'ai is secured, immediately bring up the medics for our wo-" The First Prime began issuing orders, before cutting himself off as his comms beeped to indicate an urgent, secure transmission from his queen's throne world, Londinium.

"I have to answer this, Herion liaison with the Fleet Lord and complete the mop up."

"As you command sir," his Second Prime, a young tall black Jaffa who was one of his old mentor Zintar's direct descendants, acknowledged with a salute.

Ma'toc waited till the young man used the less advanced communications systems of his power armor to bring up a comm link with the Fleet Lord Reshi, a East Asian woman with light green eyes and luscious black hair, before nodding in satisfaction and closing his helmet for privacy answered the call.

Immediately, the image of Lady Eldarose appeared in his HUD.

"Ma'toc," the daughter of his Lady said without preamble. "You need to return to immediately. There's been a major development."

"Pardon me, my lady, but what could possibly warrant abandoning a mission as important as my current assignment?"

Ma'toc was not overstating his case. Tono was a strategic fortress world located in a system that could supply fleets along a significant stretch of Lady Nimue's borders. As such it has been a world that they had sought to conquer for centuries as its loss would open a large hole in the ring of fortresses that Susanoo and his peers have used to contain the Lady at Ra's behest.

"We've received confirmation of Ra's death."

The news stunned the venerable Jaffa. While he had been missing for months now and there was growing suspicion that this was the case for some time, the confirmation of the death of the Supreme System Lord who had dominated the galaxy for millennia was still shocking.

_If he is truly dead, then the System Lords will turn on each other in open conflict unfettered by their fear of reprisal and no longer restrict themselves to the limited skirmishes they have been engaging in since Ra's ascension. All of them will want to be next Supreme System Lord._

"I'll return at once."

Lady Eldarose just nodded, and signed off presumably so she could contact other key personnel.

For a long moment, he just stood there absorbing what this really meant...

_This changes everything! _

* * *

**And done!**

**There's the first proper chapter of **_**The Great War of the Pharaohs **_**for your reading pleasure. I hope it was a good read.**

**The biggest takeaway, outside of the plot development, that I was trying to convey in this chapter is the general higher level of technology employed by the Goa'uld in this verse as compared to canon. In canon, Ra imposed stagnation on the Empire and while that's still true to a degree here, Nimue is willing and able to buck the rules and nudge things along. **

**How she manages this? Well, it'll be explained later but mainly it's through kickbacks to Ra. Why doesn't Ra just take what he wants from her? Recall the end of **_**The Apotheosis of a Lost Child **_**and how that would potentially end very badly for Ra. As such, Nimue played a delicate balancing act with Ra of giving him goodies on one hand while being too dangerous for him to crush her and take all the goodies on the other. That's all I'm willing to say on the matter now, so if you're still not fully satisfied with this explanation then you'll just have to wait till the details are revealed later in the story.**

**Update (12/8/19): **

**So I got a review from ****Sm7772008 about the prophecy in the prologue. They rightly identified that it was inspired by Warhammer 40k. They feared that if I followed through on the prophecy then the story would become "shitty". Rest assured though that the prophecy is just a vision of the worst case scenario for this verse's galaxy. This story isn't following that particularly route. One which most characters are actively working to prevent coming to pass. That said, it does offer some hints as to what is going to happen in the story and shows what's at stake. That was the purpose of the prologue.  
**

**That's it for this chapter. So till next time, peace out!**


	3. Opening Moves - Rearmament

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 2: Opening Moves - Rearmament**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

In the halls of Nimue's palace on her throne world of Londinium, a urgent meeting of the System Lord's High Council of Advisors had been called to discuss the state of the galaxy in the wake of the momentous revelation that Ra, the Goa'uld Supreme System Lord was dead.

Nimue, System Lord and sovereign of the domain sat on a throne made out of platinum, gold, silver and even traces of trinium which had been sculpted by master craftsmen into a work of art with a multitude of engravings of her many accomplishments. Taking the form she'd worn when she'd first Ascended, she sat in a high neck qipao gown with a lace bodice, a type of dress she'd borrowed from the fashions favored in the territories of her ally Yu. Despite its foreign origins, it nonetheless made her look stunning and elegant as she surveyed her councilors.

To her right set her two ministers in charge of the administrative affairs of her empire. Her daughter Kalwart as her Prime Minister sat to her immediate right. She was dressed in an all gray outfit that consisted of a sheath dress, gray duster and a pair of high heels, which allowed her to radiate the professionalism much like it did for successful businesswomen Nimue had glimpsed when she had been Harry Potter.

Next to Kalwart sat Baltet, her head of research and development. Like always the man was dressed in a lab coat thrown over a set of rather plain shirt and slacks. For a moment, Nimue lamented her son's lack of attention to his state of dress. Though she supposed he made up for it through the kara kesh he wore that through heavy personalized modification he'd transformed into a veritable omnitool. A device that he was fiddling with in a fit of nerves.

Offering her scientifically minded child, a comforting smile to hopefully help temper his nerves she shifted her attention to the left side of the long table where her military heads sat.

Sitting closest to her was Eldarose, her Chief of her Armed Forces. Like her sister she was wearing a dress, though her ball gown with its plunging V-shape neckline and back, delicate beading at the waist, and a rose print along her skirt was much more flamboyant. Though it very much suited the bold military mind of the woman who wore it. A boldness that was also exhibited by the eagerness for action that seemed to radiate out from her every pore.

_I'll need to be wary of that. We _cannot _be overeager._ Nimue thought as she continued her survey. _  
_

Seated next to Eldarose was her venerable First Prime Ma'toc who as usual was wearing his power armor, though with his helmet down as a sign of respect to this liege. Though if rumor had it, he had a tendency to leave it down in combat as well. Something that Nimue knew was considered a sign of bravery and pride in their own skills among the Jaffa as it left them more vulnerable.

_Well, he certainly has both qualities in abundance. _The former witch mused as she noted her chief general's customary stoic silence at such meetings. It seemed not even Ra's death had stirred him to break character. _I wonder what will?_

Nimue let the idle thought go and instead shifted her attention to Francis Drake, her First Fleet Lord and the last member of her Council. He was also the newest member, having only replaced Eldarose a couple centuries ago when his sister was promoted to her current rank. As always he was dressed in a replica of a Regency era British Navy Captain's uniform, a flamboyant nod alongside his name to Harry Potter's boyhood interest in the Royal Navy and its storied history.

_What's with my military minded children and their obsession with flamboyance? _Nimue mused with a suppressed sigh, as she turned to give Kalwart a nod to signal the start of the meeting.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Her daughter replied with a thankful nod of her own. "Then let us begin this meeting. For our first order of business, Eldarose please brief us on what details about Ra's death our agents have been able to obtain."

"Gladly, sister." The military minded of the twins said as she took the reins of the meeting. "Based on our intelligence, it appears that Ra was killed by Tau'ri soldiers who snuck onto his ship while he was visiting one of his mining worlds and detonated a nuclear device."

"And how did the Tau'ri travel to this mining world? Have they developed interstellar spaceflight?" Drake asked, intrigued.

"There does not appear to be any evidence of that," Eldarose informed them with a shake of her head. "All we have confirmation of is that they have developed fission weapons."

_Oh, they have developed far more nasty surprises than just those. _Nimue mused as she recalled the multitude of weapons of mass destruction her homeworld had created by this time despite their relatively primitive technology. She was so amused that it seeped onto her face in the form of a smirk.

All her councilors, sensitive to her slightest gesture noticed immediately and turned to her expectantly. She however just shook her head and they returned to the discussion at hand.

"I must concur," Baltet said as he finally looked up from the displays of his kara kesh. "We simply have too little data on the Tau'ri, even with her Majesty's memories, to make an accurate assessment of their technological capabilities. Though I admit to being curious, nothing in our genetic memories indicate they were capable of interstellar travel _at all_, yet they clearly have the ability."

"It was probably a secret project of some kind," Ma'toc opined. A rare thing, considering his tendency to speak up only when he felt it was necessary. Something that Nimue could never decipher whether was due to lingering deference for Goa'uld or just a character quirk. "My lady was merely a average civilian for her time among the Tau'ri was she not?"

There were nods from all her Goa'uld children, and Nimue reinforced the agreement with one of her own. A necessity because whilst he had, as a trusted advisor, been briefed on her past, though clearly not _all _the details, Ma'toc did not have the luxury of access to genetic memory to verify his conclusions.

"Then it is highly likely she would have no knowledge of her people's actions among the stars if they kept it a secret." The Jaffa concluded.

"That makes sense," Kalwart said, expressing the broad agreement of the rest of the Council. "And we can discuss that hypothesis later when we have a more comprehensive briefing on the limited intelligence we've acquired on the Tau'ri later, but for now we have more important things to discuss."

There were gestures of agreement from around the table, and thus the Prime Minister moved onto the next topic of discussion.

"When Ra went missing," Kalwart began. "Various System Lords began testing the limits of the restrictions he imposed. They unlocked examples of forbidden tech like cloaking devices, made use of orbital bombardments at a scale beyond what he permitted, and an assortment of other challenges. We were no exception, as we increased the deployment of our Stormtroopers and pushed aggressively against the cage he constructed to contain us. Some of the more daring and opportunely placed System Lords have even probed the borders of his domain."

Drake grunted, looking agitated at the reminder that the position of their domain meant that they were in no position to make a grab at what would likely be the vast riches Ra's domain contained. He made no move to interrupt though, largely thanks to a quelling look from Eldarose, so Kalwart continued.

"However, with his death now confirmed, the System Lords will enter into full blown, unrestrained civil war. Already Heru'ur, Apophis, Cronus, Ba'al, Yu and dozens of lesser System Lords have entered into a mad scramble to claim as much of Ra's territory as they can."

"Perhaps Lord Yu will emerge triumphant in the struggle?" Ma'toc asked hopefully, with Drake nodding in agreement.

_Okay, I take it back. Ma'toc is just as shaken, perhaps even excited about the prospects opened up by Ra's death than as anyone else here. _Nimue observed with amusement. _He's just better at hiding it behind his mask of stoicism._

"Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case." Kalwart replied to the Jaffa's question with a shake of her head. "He's informed us that his gains have been mixed at best. But let's get back on topic."

Again there were a round of agreement from the other councilors.

"With the civil war now in full swing, every shipyard in the Empire has or is gearing up to enter full production mode and will soon be churning out ships in defiance of Ra's old fleet restrictions. The same is true with the mobilization of ground forces."

"This will be the first time in centuries, perhaps even millennia, those yards will be so busy." Baltet cut in with his observation. "They've done little but refitting, repairs and the occasional small production run for ages, I have my doubts they'll be able to sustain the increased workload well."

"Be that as it may, it will still mean our enemies' fleets will likely grow exponentially in a relatively short period of time." Eldarose countered.

"Agreed, but what Baltet says is a valid point." Drake said in defense of their brother. "Those yards won't be able to keep up for long before they will likely start falling apart. It means that in the long term, we have the advantage. Our yards won't have the same problem."

"At least not to the same extent," Baltet agreed. "Many of them have suffered from chronic underproduction like those of the other System Lords, our deal to supply Ra with ships did not fully alleviate the issue. But they are better maintained than most and will bear the strain of a shift to a total war footing better."

_They make a good point. I hadn't considered it, at least not from this angle, myself. _Nimue admitted. _All I thought was the need to ensure we had enough yards so that we could outproduce our enemies. That was why I struck the deal with Ra to provide him ships. It was to allow me the excuse to build more shipyards. I did not even consider the need to maintain those yards. Though it seems Baltet, at least, must have, if measures have been taken to deal with the issue. _

_They really should tell me these things. _Nimue said with a mental sigh. _But I see why they didn't. They probably thought I already thought of it and were waiting for them to act on it. My children always think too highly of me._

It seemed that like her Eldarose had not taken this into account as she hummed at this, taking in what to her seemed to be new information and reconciling it to her plans of action. Looking a little lost in thought, she nevertheless waved at her twin to continue.

Kalwart turned to Nimue for confirmation, who only nodded.

Her Prime Minister frowned but obeyed.

"Beyond increased production of war materiel, both in terms of ships and other weapons, there have also been reports of dangerous forbidden tech like worldbreaker bombs being unsealed from the vaults they had locked up in."

_As to be expected. Everyone is looking for the edge they'll need to win._

"Furthermore, it seems the first major battles have already been fought and on a scale far beyond anything Ra would have allowed. Just this morning, we received word that Bastet and Kali have mobilized the largest fleet seen since the Anubian War to attack Olokun with a devastating first strike that has decimated a sizable chunk of his fleet."

"Yes, but it's not crippling." Drake said as he looked up from a hardlight screen in front of him presumably displaying the report Kalwart was referring to. "Olokun's reserves alone are larger than anything Bastet and Kali can muster, so the war isn't over for him yet."

"True, but as enlightening as that observation is, Drake, their war isn't our primary concern at the moment." Eldarose chided, clearly having finished reconciling the new insight she'd received earlier. "Kalwart, please continue."

The Prime Minister nodded towards Drake's apologetic smile, before doing as her sister asked.

"I must agree with Eldarose. We have more immediate concerns than Olokun's fate. Despite our victory at Tono, Susanoo is still a threat and there's also Anansi and Agni to worry about as well. As it stands, together the three System Lords still encircle us."

"And they will need to be dealt with," Nimue said, stepping into the discussion at last. "But setting them aside, this is the best opportunity to further our goals that we've had in centuries. We _must _seize it."

There were agreeing nods from all her councilors. Seeing that, she began issuing orders.

"Eldarose, ready _all _our fleets, even our hidden reserves."

"That will take time, you Majesty." Eldarose informed her, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. "It could take years to find enough manpower to crew all the ships we've stockpiled."

"Accelerate the process as much as possible," Nimue ordered. "If fortune favors us, we will have more time than we expect as our enemies will need to mobilize their resources as well. With Ra's strictures, no one is ready for total war."

Eldarose nodded and Nimue turned to her First Prime.

"Ma'toc, raise my armies. All of them."

"Your will be done, your Majesty." Ma'toc said with the traditional Jaffa salute.

Nimue returned it with a imperious nod before addressing Kalwart.

"Kalwart, begin conscription of all of my able bodied subjects. That should assist in addressing our manpower needs."

This was a necessity as unlike other Goa'uld, Nimue did not automatically induct all her Jaffa into her armies. Instead she recruited only a small core of professionals to serve as her active military. This force was backed up by a sizable pool of reservists. This arrangement had led to occasional manpower shortages, but also served to give her fellow Goa'uld the impression that her forces were a lot smaller than they actually were. Or at least could be.

"At once, your Majesty."

"Furthermore, I want you to turn all production towards the war effort as well as liaise with our allies to coordinate our efforts." Nimue added.

"As you command." Kalwart said, as she pulled out her kara kesh to make notes regarding her orders.

Satisfied, Nimue turned to Drake.

"Drake, you are to _hold the line_ along our borders for now. Hold the line, that's all. Is that clear?"

"Yes, your Majesty." The First Fleet Lord said looking a little disappointed.

"Don't look so glum," Nimue teased. "I assure you that I have something planned, but until it's ready your only objective is to keep our borders secure."

"Understood, your Majesty." Drake said, snapping an enthusiastic salute.

With that matter settled, Nimue shifted her attention to the last of her councilors.

"Baltet, you are to oversee the fast tracking of our in-development technologies." The Lady of the Lake informed her son, receiving a nod in reply. "In addition to that, I want you to begin unsealing our own vaults of forbidden weapons."

"As you wish, your Majesty."

"Good." Nimue declared, her orders all given. "Then hurry to your tasks. We have a war to win."

_And win it we shall. _The System Lord mused proudly. _We boast the best soldiers and ships in the Empire, if not the galaxy. _

"We hear and obey!" Her councilors replied with one voice.

* * *

Nervously Baltet chanced a look at his mother and liege as they stood beside each other on the Pel'tak of a Ha'tak overlooking an asteroid that was hiding one of Nimue's vaults of forbidden weapons. As always she looked beautiful, even in the form of a child that she had chosen for the day. Despite that and the relatively simple ribbon tie, lace flared dress she was wearing, she carried herself in a way that just screamed power. It was an seemingly unending sense of confidence in her purpose, he had realized long ago. No matter what form she wore or the situation, Nimue faced it with supreme confidence borne out of an unquenchable determination to achieve her goals.

It was quality that Baltet knew he sorely lacked. One reason, among many, why he had chosen the path of the scientist instead of administrator or military commander like most of his siblings tended to gravitate towards. It was this same lack, that caused his latest bout of anxiety. With total war upon, his lack of self-confidence was rearing its ugly head and causing him to doubt if he would be able to play his part in the conflicts ahead.

It seemed ludicrous for a Goa'uld to have a lack of self-esteem but Baltet did. It was, at least according to his mother, something he had inherited from her. She had hypothesized that he had taken after the aspect of her ancient Harry Potter personality that had been so thoroughly neglected by his abusive relatives, whose assassination his mother had to actively go out of the way to prohibit, that he had lost all value in himself. A problem compounded by the tendency of his human host to bouts of self-doubt as well. As a result, when the blending had created him out of his now long since faded Goa'uld and human personalities, he had been saddled with chronic feelings of inadequacy.

"Baltet," his mother asked softly, drawing him out of his thoughts, as they both looked down at a whole side of the asteroid split open and Tel'taks and Jaffa in large mechanical suits working around the opening. "Update me on the roll out of the projects under development."

It became easier to dismiss the unhealthy thinking with a task at hand and he thus hastily latched onto it. Using his kara kesh, he called up a hologram of a humanoid machine to begin his report.

"The mobile suit project is complete, your Majesty." He dutifully informed her. "The first units will be deployed within the week. Though, I must admit, the effectiveness of the weapons continues to surprise me at every turn."

"I feel the same." His mother admitted with a shrug. "But it's undeniable that they manage to combine the firepower of an Al'kesh, the maneuverability of a Death Glider, and the ease of use and familiarity to Jaffa as a suit of power armor."

"Their only drawback is their lack of shields," Baltet agreed. "But with their profile being only slightly larger than a Glider, that's hardly an issue."

"You're still working to incorporate shielding on both our Mobiles Suits and Gliders, I hope?"

"We are, but it's not progressing anywhere as well as we'd hoped." The scientist admitted with a frown. "The miniaturization of a proper ship's shield is proving tricky. And the upscaling of personal shields is impractical considering its limits in regards to slow moving objects."

His liege nodded, and waved at him to move on.

He obeyed and with a few keystrokes changed the hologram to show a wireframe schematic of a Ha'tak.

"The latest ship upgrades will be ready for implementation by the next scheduled refit." The son of Nimue dutifully informed his mother. "They should increase the strength of our ship's plasma beams by 20%. Shields should see a 15% increase in durability and power systems will see a 10% rise in output and 15% improvement in efficiency. The problem is with the refit schedules."

"Elaborate."

"The first phase of refits were originally slated to begin this month and be finished by the end of the year, but according to Eldarose thanks to the war, it will now take three times as long to finish the upgrades."

"Such a delay is unavoidable," his mother said with a sigh. "We need the ships on the front lines."

"Of course," Balter agreed, before he changed the hologram once more this time to an image of a cloaking device captured from the infamous exiled System Lord Sokar. "Moving on, I must regretfully informing your Majesty that our efforts to reverse engineer cloaking technology or to duplicate the effect using Shroud technology has hit a wall. As a result, it's not likely that they will be able to field such devices any time soon."

His queen frowned but nevertheless nodded in acceptance.

Taking this as his cue to continue, he adjusted the hologram and pulled up the wireframe schematics for a pair of new ships.

"Thanks to Ra's demise, we no longer need to fear his prohibition on new ship designs," Balter began. "However, I'm afraid that once again I must report more bad news."

"What is it?"

"It appears that like with the matter of the cloaking devices, both ships will need more time as well. The dreadnought's prototypes is entering the first phase of testing but that's still far from it being ready for active deployment."

"I see," his mother said, sounding disappointed. "It's to be expected though, we've only dared actively work on the project since he disappeared. With such a short time to work with, it's no surprise that the reports I've read indicate that the prototypes seem to be riddled with bugs."

"Unfortunately, that is the case." Baltet confirmed. "But even with its deficiencies, the dreadnought project is still years ahead of the monitor, whose design has not even been finalized as the main gun is still being perfected."

"Then we'll just have to do without them for now," his sovereign said with a sigh.

"I do have another bit of good news though," Baltet said as the hologram changed at his command to display a wireframe schematic of a vehicle with a disc shaped body and a intimidating nose reminiscent of some deadly insectoid predator. "Not all our new vehicles are delayed. I am pleased to report that the Kestrel gunship is ready for deployment and will ship out alongside the Mobile Suits."

"Ma'toc will be pleased," his mother said with an amused smile.

Considering that the Jaffa was quite vocal in appreciation of the project, at least among his mother's High Council, that was no surprise. It was something of a joke between them that Ma'toc was looking forward to the gunships' roll out more than he had been awaiting the birth of his children.

"The other projects are unfortunately even further away from completion." The scientist said regretfully as he fiddled with his kara kesh to change his projection once more.

"I see. Then let's stop for now." His mother ordered him. "I can read your reports on them later. For now, let's watch the crews below. It seems they are almost done."

Turning his attention back towards the viewscreen depicting the scene outside the ship, he saw as the first of its contents were tugged out by a Tel'tak. Two dozen large ovoid objects were spread out in neat rows on a large barge twice the size of the transport ship.

_Hyperspace inhibitors! _Baltet thought as he gasped in awe. _I can't wait to have a look at them up close. Oh! The science involved in their creation must have been amazing! I can't wait to learn all about it!_

These fantastical devices had been designed by his mother herself and had the ability to disrupt the creation of hyperspace windows and even destabilize hyperspace locally. Sealed away for fear of their proliferation among the ranks of her enemies until such time as they were needed or she felt safe to unseal them, this had been the first time in centuries they had been outside their vault.

"Let us hope that these devices and our other advances will give us the edge we need to win this war."

Even lost in his admiration of the technological marvels in front of him, Baltet had the sense of mind to agree with his mother.

_I hope so too._

* * *

**And done!**

**So the Goa'uld Civil War begins. Well not quite, at least not for Nimue, but she's started preparing for it at least.**

**Okay, here's a reason why Nimue was allowed to both continue existing and to push the edge of what Ra allowed for technological advancement. She was selling ships, with accompanying tech upgrades, to him. This actually serves a number of purposes:**

**1) It justifies larger than normal shipyards, because those yards produce ships for Ra which means he's not going to fault her for them**

**2) It justifies her having a larger than normal number of ships, so as serve as an excuse for why she has such extensive shipyards**

**3) It allows her to continue her technological research largely unimpeded by Ra's edicts on such. As she's selling advanced ships to Ra, he allows her to push the envelope of his restrictions on research, as he'll ******directly **benefit from it without having to risk his troops in a bid to seize it by force.**

**It's not perfect of course, as there were some things Ra just wouldn't tolerate. This is evidenced by how her new ships aren't ready yet. When Ra was around, even floating the idea was risky. So she only actually actively pursued it once the suspicion emerged that he was dead. That said, Nimue has come out of the deal very well. Now if only all those advanced ships she built for Ra weren't falling into the hands of her enemies as they gut his domain things would be just perfect.**

**Oh well, you can't have it all.**

**Well, that's it for this chapter's AN. So until next time, peace out.**


	4. Blitzkrieg - Heads

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 3: Blitzkrieg - Heads**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

In a command centre she'd ordered specially constructed in the centre of her flagship, _the Rose Garden_, Eldarose oversaw the final stages of the preparations for the Domain of Nimue's grand start to her campaign in the Goa'uld Civil War. It would be an offensive on a scale their domain had never before attempted.

_This is a massive gamble. _The daughter of Nimue thought to herself, as she reviewed the numbers involved. _This offensive will use up the bulk of our currently available forces. After this, succeed or fail, it'll take months, if not years, before we can be in a position to engage in _any _large scale operations again._

Yet, if they _did _succeed. They would very likely if not outright defeat then at least cripple the ability of their immediate neighbors from attacking them, thus buying themselves the time they needed to fully shift to a total war footing.

"My lady, Group Black reports that they're in position." Her executive officer reported, drawing her from her uncertainties.

_That's the last attack group._ The Goa'uld noted as she looked over tactical map of local space on the display built into her command throne. Zooming in on their targets, seven core worlds belonging to Susanoo, Anansi and Agni, she saw the waiting friendly fleets just outside the enemy's sensors range awaiting her order to strike.

Taking a final steadying breath, she firmed her resolve.

"Relay to all attack groups, Operation Blitzkrieg is a go." She ordered with all her confidence. "I repeat, Operation Blitzkrieg is a go."

All around her, her command staff exploded into controlled chaos as they relayed the necessary orders and carried out the tasks required of them.

In contrast Eldarose just leaned back and suppressed a sigh.

_Now the die is cast._

* * *

Drake sat on the command throne of his latest flagship, _the Prancing Hind_, as the Hat'ak led his fleet of 11 other motherships, 60 Shel'tak and 86 Al'kesh as they exited hyperspace over Susanoo's throneworld of Neno-Katasu-Kuni.

"Is that all they have as a garrison?" He asked incredulously at the tiny fleet of 3 Ha'tak, 6 Shel'tak and 27 Al'kesh that orbited the world ahead of him.

"Confirmed, my lord!" His sensors officer reported. "That's all of them."

"Then it appears intelligence was right for once and Susanoo has sent the bulk of his forces to reclaim Tono," Drake mused even as the surprised enemy fleet began to break orbit seemingly in a bid to flee.

"Oh! You won't get away that easily." Drake commented casually, "Activate the hyperspace inhibitors!"

"Online, my lord!" The engineering officer informed him rather unnecessarily as the enemy attempted to but failed to open a hyperspace window. The blue portal to the alternate dimension collapsing before it even fully opened.

"Good," Darke declared with predatory glee. "Then we have them trapped like sitting ducks unable to even call for reinforcement. Right where we want them."

"Indeed, my lord." His executive officer concurred, a similar smile of bloodthirsty anticipation on her face.

Even as Drake reveled in the coming slaughter, his potential victims were not about to give up the fight just yet. Instead, the outnumbered and now undoubtedly terrified enemy tried to form up into a firing line, even as their Al'kesh and Death Gliders rushed towards his superior fleet in a desperate bid to buy their compatriots time.

"Fools," Drake said with a shake of his head. "Order all ships to jump as planned."

"Yes, sir!"

The enemy strike craft were barely halfway to his fleet when one by one Drake's ships microjumped into positions all around the enemy. In moments, they had them caught in an englobement and began picking them off in their deadly crossfire. The helplessly trapped enemy tried firing back but completely outflanked and outgunned, their efforts were in vain.

Watching as one by one the enemy ships burned, Drake smiled in satisfaction at a job well done.

Despite his glee at an easy victory though, he nevertheless snapped to attention as the last enemy ship exploded and offered the enemy a salute. They might have been his foe but they were still fellow voidmen and deserved at least the respect for such, especially in light of them fighting to the last.

He stood there for a moment, watching as the flames of the enemy wrecks died out as the last of the fuel that sustained them were consumed, before lowering his salute and turning to his executive officer.

"Let's land those transport Ha'taks and get our boots on the ground." He ordered. "We have a planet to conquer."

* * *

In the orbit of another world in a nearby system, six humanoid machines covered in armor reminiscent of medieval knights, with a single rounded mono-eyed head and armed with a variety of guns flew away from the flaming wreckage of an enemy Shel'tak as they partook in the fierce fleet battle over the Agni controlled world of Poompuhar.

"Wow! I knew these guns were modified from ship grade staff cannon, but I never thought they would be able to punch a hole through the armor of a Shel'tak like that." Char, a young woman with bright blue eyes and blonde hair cropped in a functional shoulder length style that piloted the lead machine in this squad of Rifleman Mobile Suits said as they flew through the chaotic battle.

"If you had been paying attention in training or just now, mam, you would know that you only managed that because we had weakened its armor with repeated fire already." Her wingman said disapprovingly over the comms. "It's how we took down the other ships as well."

"Yeah, yeah."

_Damn him. All he knows how to do is nag at me. _Char thought to herself angrily. _Then again that he can afford to nag is a good thing._

It signified that he, and the squad as a whole, had enough of a handle on things to actually have the wherewithal to spare to do something like that. Considering the melee had become so chaotic that Char was having difficulty just sighting another worthwhile target as they zipped around the battlefield that was saying something.

_We shouldn't be wasting time on enemy Gliders. _Char thought as she casually gunned down a Glider reckless enough to try his luck at taking her on with a single well placed shot from her Suit's staff rifle. All around her, her squadmates were doing the same. _These Suits were made for taking down ships and that's what we should be doing._

It was this designation as ship-killers that was the reason why the first available batch of Mobile Suits had been assigned to this theater out of all the others in Operation Blitzkrieg in the first place. Poompuhar was Agni's main fleet base and a large fleet was expected to be there as its garrison. Thus it was no surprise when the attack group had exited hyperspace to find 34 Ha'taks, 86 Shel'taks and 136 Al'kesh were in orbit.

High Command had, as said, expected heavy resistance thanks to intelligence reports, so had sent a suitably large force of 60 Ha'taks, 150 Shel'taks and 300 Al'kesh to seize the world. And, of course, the added surprise of the Lady's latest weapon of war, the Mobile Suits.

However, despite their presence and the numerical advantage the Lady's forces enjoyed, the battle was shaping up to be a tough one as thanks to the formidable defenses the world boasted in the form of three orbital defense stations and an array of planetside batteries

Shaking of her reflections, Char queried her Suit's computer for her tally of kills so far. Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the machine read it through the mind-machine interface and brought up the relevant information in the HUD of the sealed powered armor that had been modified into the control system for her Mobile Suit.

_8 Al'kesh, 3 Shel'taks, huh?_

"That's pretty damned good!" The young woman declared proudly, careful to make sure she wasn't broadcasting. She didn't need another bout of nagging from her wingman.

"But I think that's enough small fry." Char decided as she spotted a pair of enemy Ha'tak that had managed to single out a single friendly mothership that was pulling back after suffering a significant damage and were pounding away at it with abandon. Thankfully though its shields were still holding for now.

"Let's go help that friendly out, shall we?" Char asked, over the comms to her squad and received a roar of approval as they all turned towards the beleaguered Ha'tak.

A squadron of Death Gliders tried to get in the way, but she and her squad made quick work of them without even decelerating instead just flying pass their wrecks as they continued their way to the aid of the badly damaged and outnumbered friendly mothership.

"That ain't sportsmanlike at all!" Char shouted on an open channel, as she fired a pair of antimatter missiles from the missile pods mounted on her shoulders. Her squadmates following suit, and sending a total of 36 deadly missiles screaming at the enemies.

Their weak point defense grids barely shot down a trio of the missiles before the remaining 33 missiles slammed into their shields. Already weakened by prolonged combat, the shields shattered under this sudden powerful assault.

With their shields down and sensors likewise blinded by the explosions of the warheads, the two motherships were sitting ducks as Char, her squad and the friendly Ha'tak opened up on them with their weapons.

The young pilot watched with pride as the plasma bolts from her gun blasted hole after hole into the armor and hull of the enemy ships, causing explosions that rippled through their interior and exploded out in flaming geysers. She kept firing until her sensors finally reported the enemy ships were dead in the void, by which time both of them had been reduced to little more than burning, torn up wrecks.

With its immediate opponents dealt with, the damaged friendly began to limp away.

[Thanks for the save], the ship's comms officer sent in text as Char and her squad flew back to the heart of the battle.

[Don't mention it], she sent back distractedly as she surveyed the current state of the battle, simultaneously helping her squad gun down another squadron of idiot Death Gliders.

_It looks like it's all but decided. _Char observed. The enemy fleet had been separated into small groups and were being systematically surrounded and destroyed. There were however one significant hold out that remained: the three defense stations. Supported by fire from planetside, they were still going strong.

_Let's change that. _The young pilot thought as she pushed her machine towards the nearest station.

* * *

On the rocky, almost barren Susanoo held world of Yomimon, Ma'toc sat in front of a bank of hardlight displays in his command Fan'ca as he oversaw the landing of his troops.

_Why did the garrison fleet surrender without a fight? _The First Prime thought to himself suspiciously even as he ordered the set up of a secured landing zone and the installation of a series of ring platforms. _Yes, we outnumbered them but this world is important to Susanoo. Surely, he wouldn't leave forces here so cowardly that they would give it up without a fight?_

Yomimon was a planet with a hostile environment but it was rich in Naquadah. So much so that Susanoo had transformed into a major source of the vital element and also one of his main shipyards. Having hollowed out vast caverns underground, and safe from the violent sandstorms that routinely scoured its surface, to house the population centers, mines and shipyards.

Setting aside his suspicions for the moment, Ma'toc ordered his men to cautiously begin marching down the tunnels from his landing zone in one of the captured shipyards to the planet's underground capital.

They were about halfway there and marching down a road paved through what appeared to be a massive natural cavern filled with stalagmites and stalactites on either side when they were ambushed. Waiting until the bulk of his army had been stretched out along the long road, hundreds of Susanoo's Jaffa that had been hiding in the forest like formations of stalagmites surged out of hiding to attack his troops.

In the opening moments of confusion, dozens of his men fell but with the discipline of decades, and sometimes centuries, of training, they regrouped quickly. Hurriedly, the Fan'cas repositioned themselves to either side of the road, using their shielded, armored hulls as walls to protect the infantry. At the same time, they also unloaded the men they carried, bolstering the number of staffs at his disposal tremendously. Simultaneous to all of this, the armored personnel carriers had also opened up on the enemy with their plasma repeaters which together with the staff fire from the reorganizing infantry quickly began reaping a deadly toll on the ambushers.

Not all was going well though, as Ma'toc was receiving frantic reports that his landing zone was under attack by Jaffa who had burst into the spaceport's cavern with some kind of tunneling machine and were now swarming through the breach.

Worse yet, shields had gone up on the surface of the whole underground complex cutting off the ability to send in reinforcements via the ring transports. This inability to reinforce was compounded by Susanoo's fleet suddenly recovering their fighting spirit and engaging their fleet making it impossible for them to reinforce the ground forces via Tel'tak.

_I'll have to use those then. _Ma'toc reasoned as he fully digested all the information pouring in from the displays in front of him.

"1st through 3rd Stormtrooper Blinkers, teleport in to reinforce the landing zone. Once planetside, take orders from the Second Prime on site. 4th to 6th, use my beacon as a guide and blink to my position. 4th, spread out and secure our rear and flanks. 5th, 6th take point. You'll be our spearhead." Ma'toc ordered to the elite troops he had waiting aboard the orbiting friendly fleet.

Moments after his command was issued, six whole battalions of Stormtroopers teleported down to the battlefield through portkeys created by the Lady's mysterious Magos and the magic they'd learned from her. At the landing zone, the 1st and 2nd Blinkers popped into existence directly on top of the hole in the side of the cavern and in a bloody few seconds, had taken out the tunneling machine and used its wreckage to seal the breach. In contrast, the 3rd had spread out over the whole area to help the defenders fend off any of Susanoo's Jaffa that had managed to get in their midst.

Ma'toc gave this side of the battle only a cursory glance though, confident that his subordinate in charge of the landing zone would successfully contain the situation there soon enough. Instead, he turned his attention to the battle raging around him. The 4th Blinkers had teleported right into the ranks of Susanoo's Jaffa and were massacring the surprised enemy with brutal efficiency. At the same time, the 5th and 6th had teleported just ahead of his column, looking ready and waiting for action.

"5th, 6th Blinkers, the enemy capital is three kilometers ahead. Charge in there, and bring me the Underlord!" Ma'toc ordered, eliciting a roar from the eager soldiers of the two Stormtrooper battalions as they began running towards their target.

The sound of six hundred power armored clad soldiers as they ran with one will set the world shaking.

"4th clean up these caverns! Everyone else, back into the Fan'cas."

Ma'toc didn't need to elaborate on his orders any further than that. His subordinates were more than capable of interpreting his wishes. As once, his dismounted infantry hastily boarded their personnel carriers and in the matter of a couple of minutes the whole column was racing after the Stormtroopers who had ran ahead.

They caught up with them as they fought their way through the city and the First Prime watched from his command Fan'ca as the heavy troopers blasted their way, sometimes literally, through the barricades Susanoo's Jaffa threw up in their path. Soon the bodies of the enemy began piling up on the streets, as nothing the self-proclaimed storm god's troops did seemed to be able to slow the implacable advance of his power armored troops. Their shielded armor allowing them to weather everything from explosives to staff cannons, with minimum casualties.

"Infantry dismount, secure the city." Ma'toc ordered, even as his APCs came to a halt one by one and unloaded their men. Soldiers who upon touching the ground immediately began fanning out to secure the area that their comrades' breakthrough had created thus ensuring that they would not be ambushed from the rear.

Working in tandem, it was only a matter of half an hour before they had stormed the palace of the local Underlord and he was brought before him.

* * *

Leaning casually on the side of his Fan'ca that was parked in the city's central square and within a secured perimeter. Ma'toc watched with dispassion as a man in tattered finery was dragged in chains towards him by a pair of his soldiers.

The First Prime opened his mouth to address the prisoner, but before he could the fool spoke first.

"I'm Lord Futsunushi, a god! How dare you flithy Ja-" The Goa'uld tried to bluster, before Ma'toc slapped him across his face hard enough with his power armor regulated strength to daze but not impair the pretender god.

"You, _my lord_, are nothing but my Lady's prisoner now." The First Prime informed him, speaking the dullard's title with the full force of his disdain for the creature. "Now order your troops to surrender and I'll grant him a swift death."

"You dare stri-"

Ma'toc slapped the fool a second time. "Don't waste my time, issue the order. Now! Before I torture you until you do so."

The Goa'uld shot the Jaffa a terrified look and nodded.

With a gesture, the two Jaffa keeping the coward restrained dragged him over to a waiting comms station.

"All my loyal Jaffa, this is your god Lord Futsunushi." The Goa'uld said, before shooting Ma'toc a look of triumph.

"Fight to your last!" The Goa'uld screamed in defiance before breaking into a laugh that was swiftly silenced by a harsh boot to the ribs of one of the Jaffa dragging him along the ground.

"Fool," Ma'toc shook his head even as he turned to his comms officer. "Did we get enough of a vocal sample."

"Yes, sir." The officer told him with a smile. "We'll have the surrender order out in a minute or two."

"Good work, son." Ma'toc told the younger man with a pat on the back before turning to the now pale faced Goa'uld with a sadistic smirk. "Now, as for you, I do believe I made a promise."

"M-Mercy!" The pretender god begged, cowering as the First Prime walked ever closer.

"I'm sorry, but I'm fresh out mercy for fools willing to throw away the lives of my people for their foolish pride." With that Ma'toc delivered the first of many punches onto the doomed Goa'uld.

* * *

"This promotion sucks," A robust man with sharp aquiline features and a crew cut wearing the powered armor of a Stormtrooper cursed under his breath as the squad of his fellows under his command leveled yet another building with his rotary staff cannon and their other heavy weapons in the brutal house to house fighting on Agni's throneworld of Hampi.

"Stop complaining Shetan!" One of his squadmates shouted back. "At least you get to have us call you Prime now."

"Yeah, like that's a big deal?" Shetan shouted back as he ordered his men via text to move up to the next cluster of enemy resistance further up the road.

_This whole battle's been harder than I expected. _The newly promoted Fourth Prime thought as his men took cover from a gods be damned staff cannon that the enemy had set up in an intersection up ahead.

_Sure the orbital battle was hard, which was to be expected since we were outnumbered. _

Shetan was no expert on voidbattles but watching from the troop bay on a Ha'tak, he'd thought they'd be forced to retreat but somehow the Fleet Lord had pulled off a win.

Shetan wasn't one of those spacegirls, thank the goddess he liked his junk thank you very much, so he didn't really get it, but it seemed like she'd exploited their better maneuverability and range to englobe the bulk of the enemy fleet and blow them apart from just out of their range

Even with that brilliant trick though, they'd still lost half their fleet.

With the loss of the troops on those ships, they'd been forced to use a full orbital bombardment just to even up the odds even if this meant that it destroyed a lot of the vital infrastructure they were supposed to capture. Unfortunately, they had no choice, not if they wanted to win this

As he popped out of cover and took his turn at laying down suppressive fire on the crew of the staff cannon to allow the rest of his squad to inch ahead and hopefully get close enough to properly take them out, he managed to catch a glimpse of Agni's ostentatious palace being bombarded by the fleet's ships up in orbit off in the distance.

_They'd been at it since they'd gained orbital supremacy but the damned thing is still standing! Just how powerful is it?_

His thoughts were interrupted when a warning in his HUD indicated _his _shield's strength was getting low. Acting quickly, he ducked behind the cover of some ruins to wait for it to recharge even as one of his squadmates stepped out of cover to keep up the wall of suppressive fire instead.

He was just about to gesture for his squadmate back into cover and send another into his place when suddenly the sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the war torn city. The sound was so loud that for an instant it drowned out the sounds of battle.

Risking a headshot that might just prove fatal considering his weakened shield he peeped out of his cover, and saw to his pleasant surprise that the palace's shield had _finally _collapsed and it was in the process of getting blown to bits.

"For the Lady's Glory!" Shetan roared at the sight as he burst from cover, weakened shield be damned, and led a charge against the now demoralized enemy.

_Victory's ours! _The soldier thought as he punched the frozen gunner of the staff cannon's head almost clean off in an enthusiastic right hook.

Jumping on top of the captured big gun, he joined thousands of his fellows across the war ravaged city as they began a single unified chant.

"FOR NIMUE! FOR THE LADY'S GLORY! ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF STORMS!"

* * *

**And done.**

**Wow! This was pretty much all action. It was surprisingly intense to write so I hope it's at least decently so as you read it. Though admittedly some parts are going to be better than others.**

**Well, aside from that, there's something that should be apparent by this chapter. Something I hinted at all the way since Chapter 1 of his book. Namely, that Nimue's Jaffa aren't **_**warriors**_**. They are, as far as she has been able to make them, **_**soldiers**_**. This is an important distinction to make, especially as the galaxy slips into total war. This is a generalization, but warriors make better individual fighters than soldiers but in armies soldiers will trounce warriors most of the time. This is one of the edges Nimue has actively developed in preparation for her overthrow of the Goa'uld Empire. Now it's time to see if it pays off or even makes a difference.**

**Visual Guide:**

**Nimue's Rifleman Mobile Suits = the ******AMS-119 Geara Doga Mobile Suit from the Gundam franchise****

**Well, that's all for this chapter. Till next time, ciao!**


	5. Blitzkrieg - Tails

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 4: Blitzkrieg - Tails**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

The planet of Kwanku was a world of constant shadows. Located further from its star than most habitable worlds, and with its habitations located in the middle of deep canyons, shadows were a fixture everywhere one went on this planet. It thus was a perfect place for ambushes.

Just like the one that Herion, Second Prime of Nimue, and his men were fighting through. Things had went well at first, they had faced minimal opposition at first, with only 2 Ha'taks, 3 Shel'taks and 7 Al'kesh to challenge their fleet of 10 Ha'taks, 11 Shel'taks and 20 Al'kesh as they entered the system. They had thus secured the planet's orbit easily enough and began landing troops.

Which in hindsight was exactly what the enemy was waiting for.

It was only when most of their ground troops had already landed and spread out to secure their objectives did the enemy strike using their cloaking technology to their maximum effect.

On the ground, they struck and disappeared, slowing bleeding his troops. Meanwhile, in orbit, a new fleet of 12 Ha'tak, 10 Shel'tak and 22 Al'kesh had also decloaked and engaged their surprised fleet.

"Force them back!" The commander ordered his men even as he shot one of Anansi's Jaffa through the head with his staff weapon moments before the attackers cloaked and retreated from the wall of fire his men unleashed on their last known location.

"Don't pursue! Just keep heading back to the landing ships." He added even as saw a handful of the enemy fall and subsequently decloak as a result of his men's return fire.

_That barely thinned their numbers. _Herion noted, cursing the warriors of Anansi and their famed agility which undoubtedly aided them in getting back into cover.

"Keep up the suppressive fire on our flanks," the Second Prime ordered. "Rotate squads as need be, but keep it up at all times. Don't let them surprise us again."

His men obeyed, maintaining a wall of plasma bolts that kept their ambushers suppressed even as they made an orderly retreat. His men rotating in squads so that no one was left behind as they marched steadily back to their waiting ships.

_Good. If we can keep this up, we'll make off this gods forsaken world just fine. _Herion hoped. It wasn't that he was particularly worried. They would likely still win this battle, but he was uneasy about the costs that victory would entail.

He was confident that the Fleet Lord in orbit would handedly win the space battle. She was a veteran with plenty of experience dealing with the tricks often used by Anansi's and he was sure that she would prevail. With his ground troops ambushed and with sensors reporting whole armies were coming out to confront them even as they were still harassed by these cloaked guerillas though, he simply could not risk his ground forces. This left the undesirable, but only option: orbital bombardment.

Once the Fleet Lord emerged victorious, he would order her to use her ships to level the enemy on this planet. It would make any victory pyrrhic as they'd have destroyed all the facilities they had come here to claim but he didn't see any other options.

_Curse the spider lord and his cunning!_

* * *

Ruilan was a beautiful Jaffa woman with dark brown eyes and straight, black shoulder-length hair that she tied up into a bun. This beauty would have opened many doors for her but that was an option which she had spurned, all to become a Stormtrooper in the goddess' armies. A choice which had led her to the here and now, where she surveyed the aftermath of the intense firefight that had left her the last woman standing in her squad of the Pel'tak of the captured Anansi Ha'tak they had just seized over the world Yentay.

Collapsing onto the command throne in exhaustion as more of her comrades rushed in to help secure the Pel'tak, she took a moment to reflect on how they had got into this mess.

Yentay was as close to being the nomadic System Lord Anansi's throneworld as any of he had and was thus heavily defended. Knowing this, the goddess had naturally sent in an overwhelming force to take it. This had amounted to a fleet of more than 70 Ha'taks plus hundreds of Shel'taks and Al'kesh.

The fleet had been so massive that Anansi's 'fearless' warriors had surrendered at the mere sight of it when they discovered that even with their cloaked fleet they were outnumbered by roughly three to one.

Up to that point, things had gone well. The original plan in such a scenario when dealing with surrendered Anansi ships, as Ruilan understood it, had been to proceed with scuttling the surrendered ships with carefully placed shots to eliminate them as a threat then secure them at leisure later. Instead, the Fleet Lord had the bright idea to secure the enemy ships for Lady Nimue while they were still undamaged.

This wasn't necessarily a bad idea. It was standard practice for defeated or surrendered Goa'uld enemies, so no one suspected anything could go wrong. It was, of course, a trap. Honestly what did the Fleet Lord expect when dealing with the notoriously cunning Spider Lord? There was a good reason why there were special procedures when dealing with him.

Well, whatever she was thinking it led to her sending Ruilan's squad along with innumerable others as boarding parties onto the 'surrendered' ships Whereupon the Spider Warriors had waited until the boarding parties were deep into their ships before they had used their infamous cloaking devices to attack them. As if that wasn't bad enough, the crazy bastards had rigged a whole cache of worldbreaker bombs on their own planet and set it to blow up in a matter of minutes!

Whoosh!

It was a barely perceptible sound. A mere whisper but it nevertheless caught the Stormtroopers attention. In response, faster than anyone had a right to be, even in power armor, Ruilan jumped to her feet and spun around to face the direction of the sound, one of the open entrances of the Pel'tak, and fired a shot from her light staff cannon. To her grim satisfaction, the shot dropped a cloaked Spider Warrior

Spinning around, she glared at an engineer who was desperately working to unlock the ship's systems.

"How long?"

"I'm working as fast as I can!" The young man shouted back, nervously, as he struggled to unlock the controls of the ship which the enemy had disabled.

Hissing in annoyance Ruilan cursed Anansi for the umpteenth time that day.

"Work faster!" Ruilan barked as she kept a cautious eye around her, wary of another attempted ambush. "We need to leave as soon as possible."

_There's still too many of us here! _Ruilan bemoaned. While the majority of the fleet had already left, many of her compatriots were still here to support their forces trapped while attempting to secure enemy ships or were down on the planet having made planetfall before discovering the full scope of the trap.

The engineer, unaware and likely uncaring of her thoughts just grunted in acknowledgement to her earlier question, too engrossed in his work to give more of a reply.

A beeping on her HUD had Ruilan leveling her cannon back at the same entrance as earlier and opening fire, this time though she was met with returning fire. All around her, her comrades had responded to this by quickly adding the weight of their own plasma bolts to the fight. As a result, the Pel'tak once more became the scene of a desperate firefight.

Seeing a bolt flying towards the engineer, the Stormtrooper threw herself in its way. The bolt slammed into the shields of her power armor and dissipated, draining the protective energy bubble's strength but otherwise causing her no harm. Jumping back to her feet immediately, she continued firing shot after shot while using the bulk of her armor to shield the vulnerable technician.

"I'll keep you covered," Ruilan told the startled engineer. "Just keep working."

The man just nodded and turned back to his task, looking even more harried than before. The Stormtrooper couldn't blame him. The whole area around them had descended into a chaotic melee as Anansi's Jaffa swarmed in to take them all out, probably realizing that the countdown to their little trap was almost up and were thus determined to stop the forces of Nimue from escaping.

"Got it!" The engineer announced excitedly. "I've unlocked the controls!"

"Good job!" Ruilan praised even as she blew a hole in a particularly daring Anansi Jaffa who had attempted to use his gymnastic skill to duck and weave through the storm of plasma flying in both directions, only to have the misfortune to come to a stop right in front of her cannon.

"**All forces! This is the final order to retreat! All able ships are to retreat at once!"** The Fleet Lord's voice boomed across the Allied comms channel.

"You heard the woman! Engineer, punch it!"

"Yes, mam!" The young man said as he hastily worked his technical magic and with a small lurch, their captured Ha'tak began moving towards a forming hyperspace window.

Risking a glance at the viewscreen depicting the image outside the ship, Ruilan watched as Yentay was suddenly consumed by explosions. Blasts so cataclysmic that they were disintegrating large chunks of the world's very mantle and launching others directly into space. One such massive slab of rock was flying towards them at high speed and looked moments away from destroying them when their surroundings were suffused by a blue light. The ship had successfully made it into hyperspace.

_We made it. But…_

Thousands of her comrades and millions of Anansi's own subjects hadn't.

This understanding stirred an intense rage in Ruilan's heart. One that drove her to march right into the enemy's fire. She let it wash over her, just like the flames of his worldbreaker bombs had washed over Yentay and its people. They depleted her shields but she didn't care. In that moment, all she cared about was her righteous vengeance.

Fueled by this powerful desire, she walked right up an Anansi warrior and grabbed a hold of him by his silly domed helm covered in spider webs with one hand. The man struggled fiercely, smashing his staff against her power armor, its shield having long since depleted, managing to dent it slightly. His fellows desperately fired shots at her, trying to take her down, a few succeeding in burning through her armor and wounding her.

She didn't feel the pain though, not as she used her rage and power armor enhanced strength to crush the skull within her grasp.

"Surrender, you worms!" Ruilan barked as she let the corpse fall from her grasp. "Or join your little friend here."

The Anansi warriors just stood frozen, shocked by her show of brutality.

Ruilan took a step forward, and they broke.

One by one, they dropped their weapons.

* * *

Fleet Lord Reshi, one of the highest ranking fleet commanders in the service of the Lady Nimue, stood proudly on the Pel'tak of her flagship, _the Nelson, _as it transited through hyperspace at the head of an immense fleet of 90 Ha'taks, 120 Shel'taks and 600 Al'kesh. They were en route to Nanzi, the enemy System Lord Anansi's primary fleet base, where she was confident that she would score a major victory and win win the glory she needed to earn the privilege for a blending with one of the goddess' children.

"My lady, we'll transiting to normal space momentarily." Her executive officer Loutal, a lean man with red-brown eyes, brown hair that reached down to his collar and bangs that fell into his face, informed her.

It was rare for men, even humans like Loutal, to serve in the Lady's navy as the service was traditionally considered a woman's vocation. Doubly so when service in the goddess' military was generally only expected of Jaffa. Thus, for the brown haired man to climb to his rank was quite an achievement. That was not to say Reshi's achievements as a human woman was not impressive. In fact, as his superior her accomplishments far outstripped his own.

It was thus with an admittedly justified sense of superiority that she gave the man a dismissive nod, as she watched the faint blue glow that suffused the ship from the travel through hyperspace fade away as they returned to normal space.

"My lady, there appears to be a battle already underway." The sensors officer reported the obvious. Reshi could _see _the fighting with her own eyes through the forward viewscreen.

Scoffing at the junior officer's foolishness, Reshi nudged for the important details.

"What am I looking at?"

"Sensors are reading Susanoo's main fleet of 100 Ha'taks, 282 Shel'taks and 512 Al'kesh attacking Anansi's garrison fleet of 82 Ha'tak, 112 Shel'taks and 612 Al'kesh."

"My lady, I advise we follow standing orders and withdraw." Loutal told her, sounding apprehensive. "Our fleet cannot match the enemies' combined forces."

"Nonsense," Reshi said with a snort at his cowardice. "So long as the enemy remains divided, we still have the advantage."

"They know this, my lady. As such, they're probably negotiating to unite against us as we speak."

"Your opinion is noted, Mr. Loutal. But _I _make the decisions here." Reshi said firmly, before turning to her comms officer. "Give the order. All ships are to close for an attack on the enemy. Standard fleet engagement formation."

"My lady! This is-"

"Silence Mr. Loutal. I've made up my mind."

The man gritted his teeth, clearly furious at her final rebuke. Reshi couldn't care less though. All that mattered to her was that he knew his place. _She _was the Fleet Lord here and he would do well to remember that.

"My lady! The enemy fleets have stopped fighting and are repositioning into a joint firing line."

_Just as Loutal predicted. Hmm… This is a predicament but not unsalvageable just yet._

"Don't panic! We still have the advantage." Reshi insisted, even as the beginnings of doubt grew in her mind. "Order all ships to stay at maximum effective range and pummel the enemy from afar. We'll exploit our superior range."

There was a murmur of worried discontent among her bridge crew, but they nevertheless dutifully relayed her orders. Which almost immediately proved their worth as ship after enemy ship were destroyed by her fleet's long range fire.

"My lady, enemy strike craft inbound."

"As expected," Reshi said dismissively. "Send our own to intercept."

"They won't hold out long." Loutal warned. "They're too outnumbered."

"They'll hold out long enough."

"For what?" Loutal demanded, but Reshi just shot him a glare and he backed down, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"My lady, strike craft squadrons are reporting heavy losses. They're getting mauled."

"That's not a problem. They just need to last a little longer." Reshi insisted, largely ignoring the observation entirely and focusing instead on the steadily climbing tally of destroyed enemy capital ships.

"For what?" Loutal hissed, demanding answers once more. This time pointing insistently at the corner of the viewscreen which was indicating the rapidly growing number of their lost pilots.

_1,239? Impossible! We've only been in combat for a few minutes, at most, how can our losses be so high?_

"J-Just be quiet!" Reshi shot back, unwilling to admit she had no answer.

"My lady! 60 Ha'tak, 80 Shel'tak and 300 Al'kesh of the Anansi fleet have disappeared from the screens." The sensor officer shouted, panicked.

Latching onto this new situation to escape the uncomfortable one brewing with Loutal, Reshi turned to the younger woman.

"What happened? More than 400 ships don't just disappear!"

"I don't know!" The sensor officer said as she frantically adjusted her systems, clearly attempting to discern what happened. "They were just there one moment and then gone the next."

"Did they flee to hyperspace?" Reshi wondered out loud. "Impossible, our inhibitors wou-"

"They cloaked," Loutal shouted out the answer which should have been obvious from the onset. "They're trying to outflank us."

"N-Nonsense," Reshi countered, unwilling to admit he was correct. "They must just be trying to retreat."

"Enemy contact," the sensor officer shouted urgently. "To our rear!"

"What!? How?" Reshi said, taking a stuttering breath as she realized with horror that Loutal had been right

"It's the missing Anansi ships! They just decloaked behind us!"

"Fleet Lord, the Ship Lords are asking for orders." The comms officer asked, with -was she imagining it?- accusation in her eyes.

Reshi wanted to lash out at the impudent junior officer, but she couldn't. Not when the other woman was right. She had led them to this unfolding disaster. Unfortunately, bad news enjoys company and before she could reply in any way, the sensor officer shouted more bad news.

"Enemy strike craft have broken our defensive formations and are inbound. Forward fleet elements are engaged! _Piccadilly _is being swarmed and is requesting assistance! "

Reshi could not say anything. She could barely comprehend what was happening, everything was falling apart.

"Fleet Lord! Orders?" The comms officer demanded again!

"Enemy fleet to our rear is opening fire! _Trafalgar _lost"

"Fleet Lord!?" The increasing desperate comms officer shouted again, but Reshi had no orders to give. Her mind had gone blank. She simply didn't know what to do.

"Recall all strike craft!" Loutal stepped forward, ignoring the look of shock that Reshi sent him. How could he still be so calm? How!?

"We're retreating."

Immediately the bridge crew snapped to life, relaying _his _orders and all Reshi could do was stand there in shock and stare at her executive officer.

* * *

**And done.**

**As you can see folks, not everything is going well for Nimue in her opening campaign of the Goa'uld Civil War. How will she turn her failures around though? Keep reading to find out. XD**

**On another note, I received some queries as to whether the Mobile Suits of Nimue were derived from her own ****recollections of media from her time as a child on Earth. They're actually just my own self-indulgent inserts of some of my favorite scifi elements. Same with any recognizable tech from various Earth IPs. To that end, I think it'll be better to just assume that the relevant IPs either don't exist in the WoLverse (like say the Gundam franchise) or excludes the particular design I've included (like say the Kestrels which are HMP (Heavy Missile Platform) droid gunships from Star Wars). That should keep things simpler. Hopefully. XP**

**Till next time. Ciao!**


	6. Spoils of War

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 5: Spoils of War**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Seated at her opulent office desk in the privacy of her own chambers within her mother's palace on Londinium, Kalwart, daughter of Nimue and Prime Minister of her domain, was engaging in an conference via subspace communications with a number of rather august personages. Projected on a hologram to her left was the face of Oshu, the the System Lord Yu's First Prime; while on her right a hologram showed the two Chiropteran Swarm Queens lounging in a loveseat looking quite relaxed.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Oshu." Kalwart offered the Jaffa with a genuine smile. "It must be an honor to become First Prime."

"Congratulations," the two Chiropteran offered in unison. Their tone was polite, but Kalwart had known them long enough to see that they were completely disinterested in the matter.

"It is, my ladies," the man said with a grateful nod in return. "I am most honored to be allowed to serve my lord in such a capacity. I only hope that I will be able to live up to my predecessors."

"I'm certain you will," the Goa'uld said kindly. "By the way, may I ask what Lord Yu thinks of the latest modifications to the sarcophagus that we provided him?"

"The results are promising so far. Furthermore, he tells me to extend his thanks to Lady Nimue for sharing such valuable technology."

Kalwart was about to reply with some pleasantries, but a cough from Diva cut her off.

"Enough with the small talk already," the blue Queen of the Swarm said sounding annoyed. "Let's get down to business. I want to get out of these clothes as soon as possible."

"Diva!" Saya chided, swatting her sister's arm. "Stop using your nudist tendencies as an excuse."

_The Swarm Queens really have no patience for diplomacy, do they? _Aster, Kalwart's human half, thought earning amused agreements form the rest of her personalities.

"Apologies, your Majesties." Oshu said, blushing lightly at the Swarm Queens' antics. "Let me begin then with summarizing my Lord's current situation. As a whole, little has changed. He continues to make significant gains into Ra's old domain. However, the other System Lords operating within the region have begun to unite against him."

"Situations like that will be unavoidable. Especially now that Nimue has made her move." Saya interjected. "The other System Lords will be worried that if they don't contain them, you two old allies will combine your forces and overwhelm them."

"That is indeed a valid fear." Kalwart noted. "Oshu, anything else?"

"Not particularly," the Jaffa said with a shake of his head. "I have more detailed information but they are in the reports."

"Which we can refer to at our own leisure." Diva said, sounding bored. "So let's move on already!"

"Very well," Kalwart said, suppressing a sigh at the Chiropteran woman's impatience. "Thank you, Oshu. Now I believe it's my turn. We've made a promising start to our campaign and secured some substantial initial gains. Susanoo and Agni have been crushed, with their main forces destroyed and the remnants being hunted down."

"Susanoo's fleet remains intact however," Saya pointed out. "They merely defected to Anansi's service. It's still a threat."

"That is true," Kalwart conceded. "However, it won't do the Spider much good as his infrastructure is in ruins."

"I'm afraid I must share her Majesty's caution, my lady." Oshu cut in hesitantly. "Anansi is now in possession of a very large fleet that he could easily use to seize a world with the industry he needs."

"We had considered that possibility. In fact, we are honestly surprised he hasn't done so yet."

"Well, according to our sensors, he's moving towards the core of the Empire and at present is likely headed into a confrontation with Camulus." Diva informed the meeting. "Maybe he's tired of fighting, and losing, to Nimue all the time?"

"Well, good luck to him then," Kalwart said sarcastically.

"Anansi will likely win any war with Camulus." Oshu opined thoughtfully. "It would however deplete his forces even if he absorbs the other System Lord's surviving troops and leave him vulnerable."

"We hadn't considered that. If that's the case then he's unlikely to be looking for a fight." Saya concluded. "An alliance perhaps?"

"That might be his intention, but Camulus is not stupid and will know better than to trust the crafty Spider."

"That might be the case Kalwart but Anansi is full of tricks," Saya said. "His clever use of cloaking is a prime example of this. Perhaps he'll pull it off somehow?"

"Anything's possible." The daughter of Nimue conceded with a shrug.

"Speaking of cloaking," Diva spoke up, sounding excited. "The new upgrades to your sensors we're providing will allow you to penetrate the type of cloak he's using and hopefully take away that particular ace up his sleeve. Make good use of it okay, Kalwart?"

"We will, your Majesty."

"Would it be possible for the Swarm to share this technology with Lord Yu as well?"

"You can ask Nimue for it, if she's willing." Diva told the Jaffa dismissively. "We won't trade with your master."

Oshu looked chastised at this reminder that the Chiropterans were Nimue's allies, _not _his Lord's.

_A little harsh there, wasn't she? _Kalise, Kalwart's Goa'uld half, noted.

_True, but this _is _Diva._ _She's always blunt. _Aster pointed out.

"That may be the case. But we do have something in mind that might benefit both of you." Saya said placatingly. "How does an offensive against the Goa'uld Empire to undermine the other System Lords, sound?"

"What do you have in mind, your Majesty?" Kalwart asked, intrigued.

"Let's just say that bats can strike from the shadows even better than spiders can." Saya said cryptically with a coy smile.

* * *

On Londinium, Nimue in the form of her eleven year old self sat in her throne room. It was lined by trickling waterfalls that filled a pond just below the room's transparent floor. Seated on a throne of solid platinum shaped to resemble a water lily in full bloom placed at the top of an elevated platform, she looked down with satisfaction at the corpses of a Goa'uld symbiote and the body of a mutilated South Asian man at the foot of the dias.

They were the bodies of Agni, both that of his true form and his host.

"Feed them the remains to the dragons," Nimue ordered after taking a moment to be certain that the two were well and truly dead.

Heeding her command, a group of servants walked out of a hidden door behind a waterfall, which parted for them, and collected the corpses for disposal.

The former witch watched as they dragged the bodies away, idly wondering about the magical creatures she was about to nourish with their dead flesh. It seemed that exposure to magic appeared to push the evolution of lifeforms towards taking on the same form. For the dragons of her domain and even their counterparts on Earth, despite evolving on completely separate worlds and with their populations having no contact with each other, were nevertheless all similar in being giant winged, fire-breathing reptilian beasts.

_Magic is weird. I still can't see how tiny native lizards can end up mutating into dragons without us noticing. _She mused distractedly, as she awaited the next order of business for the day. _Then again, maybe I can exploit that weirdness to create a Phoenix? I would like a chance to meet one of those legendary birds of rebirth again._

She pushed aside her thoughts as a bald East Asian man was dragged before her in chains and forced to kneel before her throne.

_And so the show begins again. _The System Lord lamented as she gave the man a once over.

Even clearly badly beaten and his formerly fine clothes ruined he still carried himself with quiet dignity and Nimue could not help but give him credit for doing so.

_You carry yourself with pride to the end, eh, Susanoo? Impressive._

"Tell me, Susanoo," Nimue asked, her voice cold. "Would you prefer a quick death or an honorable one?"

"Does it matter?" Her fellow System Lord scoffed. "It's death either way."

"That much is true," Nimue agreed. "Death is the the only way to deal with scheming enemies like my fellow Goa'uld."

"Don't give me that excuse." Susanoo shot back angrily. "Your ruthlessness is nothing more than your way of dealing with our kind's overpopulation despite rejecting the ritual cannibalism the rest of of us perform."

"I suppose it could be seen that way." Nimue conceded. "But that doesn't answer my question. A quick or an honorable death? Choose."

"What would you consider an honorable death?"

"Death by combat at my hands."

"I'll fight you." Susanoo tells her, a smirk on his face. "And kill you."

"Will you now?" Nimue asked with a confident smirk of her own, while gesturing to her men to release his restraints. "Do you think that because I am wearing the body of a child?"

"A _female _child," the arrogant Goa'uld said as he stretched his his previously restrained limbs. "A child is bad enough, but a girl child at that? I doubt you'll put up any fight at-"

Nimue didn't allow him to finish his taunting. Still seated on her throne, she raised her right hand and pointed at him with her index finger. With a thought, her magic responded and a bolt of lightning burned through the air form the tip of her finger.

It hit the shocked System Lord and sent him to the ground in writhing agony.

She watched him squirm for a moment before releasing the magical lightning and allowed him to recover.

"Y-You would attack an unarmed opponent with a weapon?" He hissed breathlessly. "You call this honorable?"

"I am as unarmed as you are," Nimue informed him and allowing lightning to dance within her raised right palm. "This is merely my own power."

"Li-" Susanoo said, before cutting off in a scream as he was hit with another lightning bolt.

Again, Nimue allowed herself the satisfaction of seeing her rival squirm in agony for a moment before releasing him from her electric torture. Contrary to the the last time though, the man had nothing to say. He just lay there unable to do anything else.

A little disappointed that the 'fight' was over, she took a deep breath. As if in response, Susanoo's body suddenly rapidly dehydrated and begun to shrivel up. In moments, there was nothing left but a mummified corpse.

The deed done, she stood and begins to leave.

"Remove his symbiote," She ordered as she walked pass Susanoo's corpse. "Make sure it's dead. After that, feed both bodies to the dragons."

_I suppose I should sympathize with Susanoo's host. _Nimue mused distractedly as she walked out of her throne room, and her servants scurried behind her to carry out her will. _But after centuries trapped in his own mind and body, this was probably a merciful end to his suffering._

_Whatever the case,_ Nimue though as she walked the long winding corridors full of decorative water fixtures towards her war room. _What's done is done. I must focus on the present. And I have a war to fight._

* * *

**And done! It's a short one this time.**

**The biggest takeaway in this chapter is mainly that Nimue is quite a deadly with magic. This isn't her upper limit though. For that, well, keep reading.**

**So many reviewers last chapter asked how Reshi could prove herself so incompetent, well the answer is simple: S****he was suffering from an unhealthy dose of being blinded at what success in this battle would mean for her and she lost sight of what she needed to do that success. She's actually reasonably competent as seen in the first chapter where she was the one supporting Ma'toc in that campaign.**

**Till next time, peace out.**


	7. Interlude: The Goa'uld Empire

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: The Goa'uld Empire**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi everyone!

Today on The Galacticpolitics Blog, I'll be discussing a topic that many of you will be familiar with: the Goa'uld Empire. Considering how well documented and studied it is, for good reason considering its existence is the single largest force that has shaped the modern galaxy, I will jump straight into it.

**The Goa'uld Empire**

The Goa'uld Empire were once the dominant power in the Milky Way galaxy and remained as such for millennia. While the exact length of its reign is unclear, the Goa'uld records being the only source and known to suffer from a large degree of embellishment on the part of their writers, we can safely say that it stood unrivaled for at least the last 20,000 years.

It was able to do so because it benefited from two major catastrophes in the galaxy's recent, relatively speaking, history that left a vacuum that they filled. First of these was the Extinction War which left relatively few surviving sapient races in the galaxy in its wake, something that even millions of years later the galaxy has not fully recovered from. This was followed by the Ori Plague which wiped out most of the handful of races that had filled the vacuum the Extinction War left behind. Thanks to these two disasters, the Goa'uld Empire was thus able to expand largely unopposed into a mostly empty galaxy.

With galactic dominance in hand, they began reshaping it in their image.

Something that really picked up steam after they discovered Earth and us humans. Thanks to this discovery and the dubious honor of being exceptionally good hosts to the Goa'uld symbiotes, the Empire began spreading humanity among the stars throughout the course of their expansion.

Shortly afterwards they took another major step in leaving their mark on the galaxy when they created the the Jaffa by genetically modifying some of their human slaves. They gave them enhanced strength, endurance, and lifespans all whilst making them reliant on larval Goa'uld to provide them with a immune system. All the better for them to serve as the Empire's warriors.

Thus it was the Goa'uld that are responsible for the proliferation of the two most populous races in the galaxy.

Told you they were the single largest force that has shaped the modern galaxy, didn't I?

History

As mentioned earlier, Goa'uld historians are notorious for embellishment as such conclusively proving any element of the Empire's early history is difficult at best. Even the fabled genetic memory of living Goa'uld are murky on the details of this time, my friend Nimue argues deliberately so but I digress. What we do know is that the Empire first came into being when the first Supreme System Lord consolidated the feuding domains of the early Goa'uld warlords under his overlordship … _To see more click here_

A Feudal Empire

Perhaps what's most surprising about the Empire to observers from Earth such as myself was its feudal nature. We have long been conditioned to see this as a backward system of government that most of us would think has no place in an interstellar civilization. However, the Empire proves that it not only can work but do so extremely well as its longevity proves.

For you see, the Empire was divided into individual domains ruled by the System Lords, the most powerful of the Goa'uld, and independent minor Lords. … _To see more click here_

Military

Now while I don't intend to cover military structure again in the future, I've gotten enough requests about this aspect of the Goa'uld Empire to cover it this once. Now I'm no expert on military matters, even less so than I am on politics, so I'm going to refer to the experts.

Standard Units of the Goa'uld Empire _(Click to expand)_

Standard Tactics of the Goa'uld Empire

_In space (Click to minimize)_

In space, during the opening phases of a battle the Empire tended to favor forming up their capital ships into long firing lines and then exchanging fire with opposing ships. This was designed to overwhelm enemy fleets and to support their strike craft as they intercepted their enemy counterparts by providing a wall of fire.

This opening barrage can also be traced back to Goa'uld arrogance. On one hand, many of them honestly believe that their enemies _should _be disintegrated by this alone and thus persist in using it even when its utility is questionable especially against ships from more advanced opponents. On the other hand, it is an attempt by the Goa'uld to play to the pretense of being honorable. As they rarely, if ever, use this opening barrage to its full effect and focusing their fire on high value targets, instead choosing to spread out their fire as much as possible to create an illusion that their ships are fighting 'honorable' one on one duels with opposing ships even within a chaotic space battle. Together these two aspects, both signs of Goa'uld arrogance, led to the Empire's commanders employing this tactic as a standard in their playbook.

If the open barrage failed, as it often did, the firing line would break up into smaller units and proceed to attempt to maneuver around the enemy until they could englobe them whereupon they would hopefully destroy them in a crossfire. Of course, there were many variations to this tactic and even cases where it was abandoned altogether, especially during the later stages of the Goa'uld Civil War. However, it nevertheless was and to a large extent remains _the_ default tactic that Goa'uld commanders rely upon when faced with a space battle. (Credit: Nimue. Yup! _That_ Nimue! She was nice enough to write up this section for me! Cool huh?)

_On the ground (Click to expand)_

* * *

**And done!**

**Hope you enjoyed this little break from the main story. There's one more interlude before we jump back into the main story. This next interlude will focus on SG-1 and how they fit into things in this changed Stargateverse. Hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am to writing it.**

**Well, till then, ciao!**


	8. Interlude: Friend of Foe?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: Friend of Foe?**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Colonel Jack O'Neill of Stargate Command (SGC) and leader of its premiere team, SG 1, stepped of the Stargate's wormhole alongside the rest of his team and onto the world of Hull and its capital city of Hull City.

_Why aren't the locals imaginative folks? _The United States Air Force (USAF) officer thought sarcastically as he surveyed the local gate complex. From what he could see, and tallying with the telemetry from the MALP (Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe) the SGC had used to make first contact, it was a large building that looked a lot like an airport immigration area

There were booths and lanes for queues and everything. Even the metric ton of security was a dead ringer. Or close to it anyways. These guys might outdo most airport security by a good bit. The place was crawling with armed guards equipped with guns reminiscent of old-fashioned Tommy guns. There were even recessed sections in the floor that he had to agree with the analysts who looked over the MALP footage were probably hidden deployable barriers.

_Overall a pretty good job. _The special forces operator thought as he gave their setup an appreciative nod. _They're taking securing their gate pretty seriously. As they should._

It probably wouldn't stop a determined Goa'uld but it would certainly give any snake exploring the network some pause.

He exchanged a look with Teal'c to check his opinion and received a nod in agreement.

_If a former First Prime gives his seal of approval, than it's pretty good._

His little security assessment was cut short when a representative of the locals stepped forward.

"Greetings, friends." The barrel chested man said with a bow. "I am Michel and am the chosen representative of my government, the Protectorate of Hull, for the duration of your stay on our humble planet."

As was his role, his friend and master archaeologist, diplomat and all round people person, Daniel Jackson stepped forward to handle the diplomatic niceties. Jack largely just tuned him out, catching only the standard clarification that SG 1 wasn't expected to be the SGC's formal negotiators but more there to scope the place out and make sure it was safe for the actual diplomats to come over.

That was still more than he wanted to hear though and he really wished the translation device built into his earpiece had a mute function. No offense to the eggheads who developed it after reverse engineering the Goa'uld tech recovered alongside the gate in Egypt all those years ago. It really was impressive how they'd managed to whip this up since the first mission to Abydos and it certainly made life easier a lot of the time. But, dear god, how could they have forgotten to include a mute button!?

Because frankly speaking, listening to diplomatic exchanges was as boring as watching paint dry!

To distract him from that, he instead decided to go back to examining his surroundings.

The initial information exchange through the MALP had raised some questions that he hoped to answer over the course of this mission. Things like: How did a civilization that looked liked it was still only in the middle of the industrial revolution manage to create a planetary government when no other civilization at that level they'd met so far had? Or how did they manage to get the Goa'uld to ignore them when they were just right by the snakes' standards for annihilation? Especially when they used gate travel?

_I just hope we don't have to find those answers through another violent misadventure_. _Those are getting old fast. I'm an old soldier and can take it, but not everyone on his team are built of the same stuff._

The thought had him shooting Daniel a sad look. He would never tell his friend, but seeing the scholarly man slowly transform into the hardened warrior he was becoming broke his heart

Then there was Carter... The less said about that the better…

* * *

After a long, boring day of simple diplomatic exchanges and a tour of the city, SG 1 had been ushered to a local hotel. And now with their minders having left them alone, something which Jack would have called sloppy if he hadn't noticed the _entirety of hotel's staff and patrons_ were acting a little too interested in them to be normal.

_These guys really go the whole nine yards, don't they? _O'Neill thought to himself as he and his team filed into a lift to head down to the hotel's attached pub to _properly _start, in his opinion at least, their mission. After all, nothing like a little liquor to loosen some lips.

"So anyone found out anything useful about the locals so far?" The Colonel asked his team as the lift started its slow descent from the top floor of the twenty storey hotel where they had been assigned rooms. It's not the most secure location to be having such a discussion, but nowhere on this planet likely fit the bill. Besides, he trusted his team not to say anything in a public place that would get them in trouble.

"Well, they are apparently a confederation of city states spread out across the planet." Daniel said, retelling what he'd learned from that Michel character. "More importantly, they are part of a gate-based trade network worked by caravans, which is why they had the airport style Gate facility. It's to screen arrivals."

"And they have avoided Goa'uld attention?" Teal'c asked suspiciously.

"I don't think so," Daniel replied, sounding as suspicious about the locals as the rest of the team was getting. "They know about them, so they must have had contact. But when I asked how, all Michel was willing to tell me was that they weren't worried about them."

"Not worried!?" Major Samantha Carter, technological genius and his 2IC, gasped in shock.

"That was my reaction too, Sam." Daniel said with a frown. "I even asked if they knew the full extent of what the snakes could do to them, which they did. Even gave me pretty good descriptions, though they refused to explain how they knew. Or for that matter why they weren't worried about the Goa'uld even when they knew the full extent of their threat."

"Ain't that a red flag?" Jack said with a snort.

"It isn't the only one, sir." Carter said with her own frown. "It's subtle, but these people seemed to have schizo tech. They are mainly an early industrial society, and their technology reflects that. But somehow they have access to Trinium, according to them that's what the security barriers back in the gate facility were made of. Which shouldn't be possible since they wouldn't have the technology to work the metal on the industrial scale required."

"I take it that's not all?" Daniel pressed, his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it.

"No, one out of place advanced technology I could understand." Carter insisted. "But they also have portable computers that double as cellphones and a global wireless network. There were a few other little things but these were the two big ones."

"Could they have had access to a cache of alien technology?" Teal'c suggested.

"It's possible," their technical expert conceded. "If they did, they might have reverse engineered some of it but at the same time I can't help but think that if that were the case then wouldn't it have led to a more general improvement in their technology?"

"Is it possible their leadership is following a similar approach to the SGC?" Teal'c offered. "They might be hoarding their discoveries and only allowing them to slowly trickle out to the civilians."

"That sounds plausible," Carter acknowledged, though she sounded unconvinced.

None of them were if the looks on their faces were any indication. Not even Teal'c and the Jaffa had suggested the idea in the first place.

_Their gut must be telling them that's not it either._

And if there was one thing SG 1 had learned to trust besides each other through their journeys along the gate network, it was their gut feelings.

* * *

It was in this uneasy state of affairs that the team from Earth walked into the bar.

"Um guys, is it just me or doesn't this look a little too much like a stereotypical English pub?" Daniel said voicing Jack's own confusion and ever growing suspicion as he eyed their surroundings which was nigh indistinguishable from a British pub.

"I hear you Danny boy," Jack said as cheerfully as he could manage. "But I'm a little more curious about _them_."

Gesturing with his head, Jack pointed to a cluster of five men that were to his trained eyes clearly guards. They weren't the only ones either as he'd spotted at least three more posted throughout the pub trying to look discrete.

Daniel nodded in understanding and Jack turned to share a look with Teal'c and Carter who both likewise nodded.

His team alerted to the presence of their chaperones/jailers -He wasn't sure which yet.- Jack led them to take a seat in a booth near the back where they could keep an eye on all of them at once.

They had just settled into their seats when a teenager that couldn't have been more than sixteen walked up to them.

"Hey Bob! A round of drinks to welcome our guests to Hull!" The girl shouted as she nodded at the open seat next to Carter.

Jack was leery of drinking with a teenager but they _did _come down to get a chance to talk to the locals in a relaxed setting. And the girl did count as a local.

"Go right ahead," Jack told the girl with a smile that the girl returned and squeezed onto the bench next to Carter.

As she did, Jack took a moment to take a better look at her. With her messy raven black hair, alluring green eyes and perfect figure, she was gorgeous. A beauty further accentuated by her navy jumper, white blouse and plaid pants. It made her look downright sexy and that was in Jack's rather jaded opinion. He could only imagine what the more hormonal young men in the pub were thinking.

Yet despite her beauty, none of the pub's other patrons seemed to be leering at her, something he knows wouldn't be the case back on Earth or most anywhere else for that matter he'd wager. Instead, they were looking at her almost reverentially.

_Ok, whoever she is, she's important. _Jack concluded, his guard already heightened by the presence of the hidden guards going up yet another notch.

He wasn't alone though, he realized with satisfaction as a casual glance at his team showed they had all tensed, even Daniel, at the girl's presence.

He took the time to shoot a meaningful glance at Teal'c and received a negative dip of the Jaffa's head in return.

_Not a snake then._ Jack reasoned. _Still plenty of dangerous things she could be though. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained._

"So Miss?"

"Nim," The girl said introducing herself with a sheepish grin.

"Right," Jack said with a nod. "So Nim, what's a girl like you who doesn't look older than sixteen doing in a pub?"

"Jack!," Daniel jumped in chidingly. "Sorry about my friend, Nim. Back home we're only allowed to drink when we're 21. I know it's diff-"

"It's no problem, mister." Nim cut in with an enigmatic smile. "I get asked questions like that a lot. I tend to look younger than I really am."

"That you do Miss Nim," the bartender agreed as he arrived to deliver tankards of local beer for all five of them.

"Thanks Bob. Add it to my tab."

"Will do, Miss." The bartender nodded politely as he walked back to the bar.

The next few hours that followed was filled with mundane conversation as SG 1 drank with the girl for company. The team had only sipped at their drinks, conscious that they were on duty. In contrast, the girl downed tankard after tankard without getting the slightest bit tipsy. Throughout it all, as should be expected, they began to swap stories.

Teal'c told her that he fought with the Tau'ri to overthrow the false gods that were the Goa'uld and free his people, leaving her genuinely impressed.

Carter had told her about her life as an academic with Daniel chiming in occasionally to offer his own insight on the topic. Things like doing research, writing papers, attending conferences and other boring stuff like that. Not that the girl found it as boring as Jack did. She'd actually seemed enthralled with the whole thing.

It was Daniel's main contribution though that really got a reaction from her. He had shared with her about Sha're and his quest to free her and ensure no one had to suffer like he had ever again. She'd listened dutifully, even setting aside her drinks to do so, and got all wistful during the story in a way that Jack recognized was the look of someone who had lost a loved one.

"I have a story like that too," Nim had said when Daniel had finished. "You see I'm very much in love with a woman who loves me just as dearly. However, the woman's family objected-"

"Because you were both women?" Daniel asked, in that comforting empathic way that Jack had only ever seen him manage.

"No," Nim said with a sad smile. "It's because we were from different races."

All of SG 1 winced or offered her sympathetic looks. They could all understand the pain of being separated from loved ones, from first hand experience, so having been separated by something so trivial stirred their sympathy in profound ways.

"Thankfully though," Nim continued, her smile turning bittersweet. "We still keep in touch and meet once a year. Though I really hope that we can be properly together soon."

Apparently done opening her heart to them, the teenager turned to Jack. He had so far been the only person who hadn't shared yet.

"So Jack," Nim asked with a teasing smile that only barely covered the persisting sense of heartbreak that permeated around her. "Any stories to share?"

"Not really," the Colonel said with a shrug. "I'm just a simple soldier that's willing to do anything to keep my home safe."

"Really? _Anything_?" She asked, her eyes comically narrowed.

Jack hesitated for a moment before replying honestly. "Well, I guess it depends on the situation."

"That's a good answer." Nim nodded, as she took a big gulp from her latest tankard. "Hull is proof of that."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, smelling blood.

"Well, I dunno if the higher ups have told you guys yet but Hull is a planet settled by freed Goa'uld slaves about a thousand years ago. As are our trade partners on the gate network."

"And you've managed to escape notice from the System Lords?" Teal'c asked suspiciously. "That sounds unlikely."

"Well, we do have help. All of us are protected by a higher power, you see." Nim admitted while taking another drink of beer. "Yeah, we'd effectively traded one master for another but the new master was generous. The only request she made of us, all of us, under her protection was that we did not fight among themselves."

"That's generous true," Daniel agreed before pressing. "Who is this higher power though?"

"No one knows," Nim informed him with a shrug. "At least, we common folk don't. It's probably a state secret or something. I mean, no one wants to reveal it and anger her or she'd stop giving gifts."

"Gifts?" Carter asked eagerly, no doubt thinking about all the locals' schizo tech.

The teenager opened her mouth, probably to list examples, when one of the undercover guards, a man that had previously been rowdily drinking with his friends in a neighboring booth, came over with a drawn Zat'nik'tel.

Jack immediately reached for his sidearm but didn't draw it, an action followed by the rest of his team except Daniel.

Instead of heading to them, the man, to O'Neill's surprise, rushed over to Nim.

"My lady, the gate facility is under attack." the man said in a respectful rush.

"I see," She said with a contemplative frown as she stood, all signs of her previous playfulness gone and replaced with an air of professionalism and authority. "Then my guests and I must head to a safe location immediately."

"What's going on?" Jack asked irreverently, ready to draw his own Zat at any moment.

Turning back to his team, Nim -If that's even her real name- offered them an apologetic smile.

"My sincerest apologies friends. This is not how I'd hoped things would develop. I know you have many questions and I assure you that I'll answer them soon. But for now, please follow me as we relocate to a safer place."

Jack weighed their options. But quickly dismissed most of them. They were surrounded by who knows how many armed guards and they were armed with only their sidearms. There was no fighting their way out of this. At the same time, Nim and her people looked like they didn't mean them any harm, so why not play along?

Signalling to his team to do just that, Jack followed the girl's lead as they began to head out of the hotel. A whole contingent of guards forming around them in a protective detail.

"The attacker appears to be Anansi, my lady." The man from earlier told Nim as they stepped out of the pub and into the hotel's main lobby.

Teal's perked up at this.

"Teal'c?" Jack prompted the taciturn Jaffa.

"Anansi is a powerful System Lord."

Jack sighed and was about to press his friend for more when Nim replied to her bodyguard(?) with a frown.

"What is the Spider playing at?"

At this point, the group had just stepped outside and the man was about to say something when out of nowhere a plasma round came screaming through the air on a direct path towards Nim. Jack moved to push her out of the way, but was waylaid by her guards. Not that his intervention proved necessary as the bolt of charged particles ended up splashing harmlessly against a shield around the girl.

A girl that promptly retaliated by shooting a freaking _lightning bolt_ in the direction of the shot.

_Whatever weapon she's using? I want one. _Jack thought appreciatively.

"Go recover the corpse," Nim ordered coldly.

As a small group of her guards detached from the group around them, presumably to do as she commanded, Nim followed them with her eyes and frowned.

"The attack on the gate was a distraction to aid the assassin." She concluded. "The attempt was too sloppy for an Ashrak though. Anansi is being a cheapskate it seems."

"And why would a System Lord like Anansi want you dead?" Teal'c demanded. "Who are you really?"

"This _really _wasn't how I wanted our introduction to go," the young woman said with a frown. "Well, I guess it can't be held."

Suddenly, her posture changed. Jack couldn't say how, but it did. If she had radiated authority earlier, she now looked like authority personified. And it took more than he wanted to admit to stop himself from gawking.

"My real name is Nimue."

* * *

After the attempted assassination and the revelation of Nim's real identity, SG 1 had been led to a ring platform hidden in city hall and ringed into an underground cavern that housed dozens of docked Goa'uld ships of various classes and finally into quarters on one of the Ha'taks.

"Alright, we're alone." Jack said as the guards left and sealed the doors behind them. "Teal'c, spill."

"Anansi and Nimue are both System Lords." The former First Prime of Apophis said, radiating anger at his failure to see the trap before it had caught them. "The two are bitter long term rivals. Anansi had, last I heard, suffered grievous losses at Nimue's hands. However, the Spider as he is also known is infamous for being crafty and is likely preparing for some kind of counterattack."

"That fits with the mythological Anansi. He _was _a trickster god." Daniel chimed in, attempting to relieve some of the tension with his wealth of trivia.

"Anything else useful, Teal'c?"

"Apologies O'Neill but Anansi is well known for his secrecy. I know nothing more." Teal'c admitted with a shake of his head. "Though despite a similar reputation for mystery, a lot more is known about Nimue."

"Anything useful?"

"I do not know. All I know is that she is one of the most powerful System Lords. She fought on the same side as Ra against Anubis millennia ago and helped assure his ascension to Supreme System Lord. She is also one of only a handful who still lives to tell the tale, a feat that proves her strength."

"How did she manage that?" Carter asked, curious. Jack shared her interest. From what they'd learned, the Goa'uld Empire was a very cutthroat place. To have managed to survive for as long as she had, this Nimue must have been one skilled little snake.

"She is also in possession of the most advanced fleet in the Empire and one of its largest. It has allowed her to be openly defiant to Goa'uld traditions and even Ra himself."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, clearly interested despite himself. His love of cultural studies overwhelming his hatred of all things Goa'uld.

"She industrialized her worlds beyond the limits Ra imposed, and uses technology she refuses to share despite his demands, and perhaps most deviantly treats humans and Jaffa under her rule as subjects rather than slaves."

"And Ra let her get away with that? Didn't he exile people for last than that? Like that Sokar person?"

"He did," Teal'c said with a nod. "And the exact reason why Ra never acted against her is not fully known. However, it is theorized that between her fleet and her longstanding reliable alliance with Yu, another powerful System Lord, she was too powerful for Ra to alienate, destroy or exile without risking undermining his own rule. Too many Goa'uld who chafed at his rule would flock to her cause should she rebel, leaving the outcome of any conflict between them uncertain and not something Ra would risk."

"Okay, that tells us _who _she is, but not anything that can help us."

"Indeed," Teal'c said as he paused a moment to organize his thoughts and presumably pump his memory for something helpful. "I am uncertain that I know anything useful at all. Nimue is incredibly enigmatic. Often being prone to odd behavior, particularly in the way that she's consistently been both a scientist and ruler at the same time, which while not unheard of was something that other Goa'uld rarely did."

"Any other quirks?" Daniel pressed. "We might be able to exploit some of them."

Teal'c nodded in understanding and forged ahead.

"She, as we have seen, also uses a human host that she perpetually keeps as a teenager. In addition, Nimue also executes _all _Goa'uld she captures."

Daniel mulled this over and turned to Jack with a shake of his head.

"Alright, new tack," Carter said at this failure. "What about the lightning she used earlier. What kind of weapon was that?"

"I am uncertain." Teal'c admitted once more, frustration at his lack of helpful information getting to him if the way his brow furrowed was any indication. "Susanoo had such weapons and she recently defeated him, acquiring his holdings. However, she didn't seem to be carrying anything that might have been such a weapon."

"Goa'uld hide their technology in mundane items all the time." Daniel noted. "She probably hid that lightning thrower in something, jewelry maybe, on her person. Same with the shield, right?"

"That is possible, but she only _very _recently defeated Susanoo. It seems unlikely she'd have time to adapt his technology to create a concealed weapon. It is possible however that she might have looted such a device directly from Susanoo's vaults."

"Any clue what the devices might look like?"

Teal'c shook his head, garnering a sigh from the whole team. There went the idea of readily disarming the snake of her hidden weapons.

"Okay, let's take a step back," Jack said after a moment. "Teal'c what's with the whole fleet she has hidden on Hull?"

"This world must be one of Nimue's hidden bases." The Jaffa replied. "All Goa'uld have them but Nimue is notorious for having an overabundance of such."

"And she's using the people of Hull as decoys to misdirect the attention her enemies." Daniel noted with righteous anger.

It was at this moment that the door to the room opened and Nimue walked in while escorted by four Jaffa equipped with blue trimmed versions of Teal'c's treasured power armor and what looked to be staff weapons modified into rifles.

"I'll have you know, Daniel, that I will not put my subjects at unnecessary risk." the System Lord said coldly. "Now that Hull has been discovered, I will increase the local security and formally declare it and the whole dozen other protectorate worlds it trades with as my own."

"So you would enslave them?" Teal'c accused.

"Enslave them?" Nimue scoffed. "Did you not just moments ago admit that I saw my people as subjects with rights to be respected and not slaves?

Teal'c looked ready to argue, but Nimue shot him a glare and spoke in a voice that seemed to literally drip with power.

"**Be silent!**" She commanded. "It's my time to talk now. We never did finish swapping stories did we? And I still you owe you a couple stories. Let me fix that."

Jack opened his mouth to quip a witty rejoinder but was unnerved to discover he and his team literally could not speak. Every time they opened their mouths, no sound came out. They traded nervous glances at this discovery but Jack, keeping his cool as much as he could, nodded at them to hear Nimue out. They didn't have a choice, she had them at her mercy.

"Let me start by finishing the story of Hull." She said as she conjured a throne of flowing water, seemingly literally out of thin air and sat back on it. "You see, it and the other protectorate worlds were initially settled by former slaves I freed from other System Lords during my campaigns. After transplanting them here I left them to their own devices, only maintaining control over external defense and using their off grid locations, being worlds mostly forgotten by the Goa'uld, to serve as bases for my fleets."

At this she gestured around them, indicating the ship they were on and the collection of other ships outside.

"But all that changed when your exploratory robot came through the Chappa'ai."

_She must mean the MALP_

"When I received word of that, I knew it was my chance to meet the legendary Tau'ri and take your measure but imagine my surprise when the team the Tau'ri sent were the legends among legends themselves. O'Neill: The slayer of Ra and the man who first led his people through the Chappa'ai. Teal'c: The Shol'va whose defiance against his god is famous across the galaxy. And, not to be overlooked, their teammates who will surely soon grow to be equally famous."

She looked genuinely starstruck as she rattled off their achievements, and Jack was having a hard time reconciling that with what he knew about the Goa'uld. Sure, he knew they were consummate actors. But why act, especially like this, when she had them within her clutches?

"When I learned you were coming, I _knew _I had to come and meet you in person. With the high Naquadah deposits on the planet and a few interference devices, I knew I could overcome Teal'c's ability to sense my symbiote and speak to you directly. And I must say, after having done so, I am not disappointed. You are all good people and deserving of all the praise the free and free minded people of the galaxy heap upon you. Continue to pursue your causes, my friends, for they are all admirable."

SG 1 was stunned and looked at each other in confusion. They were receiving praise from a Goa'uld System Lord? Had the universe gone mad?

Nimue seemed to expect the reaction she'd elicit from them, as she was smiling at them with amusement.

After allowing them a few minutes to recover their wits, she pulled a data crystal from a pocket and tossed it at Daniel. The startled archaeologist barely managing despite his surprise to catch it.

"That counts as my fourth story." Nimue told them with a mischievous smirk. "It contains intelligence on the current state of galactic politics. What might be of particular note to you, is that it includes a summary of what I know about the current strengths of various System Lords and other powers as well as a list of Chappa'ai addresses for Goa'uld strongholds that you should avoid."

_Is this a trap? _O'Neill pondered. He could see how useful this could be for them but not what good it would do for her.

"Consider this a gesture of goodwill on my part," Nimue continued, seemingly directly in reply to Jack's thoughts. A coincidence, or was it, that sent a shiver down his spine. "And a first step in proving that to you that not all Goa'uld are evil."

Smirking self-deprecatingly, she added, "Just most of us."

Turning to Carter, she sighed in resignation, a move that startled the woman.

"I'm sorry Major Carter, but I simply cannot give you technology. If you advance too quickly, the Council of System Lords will notice and declare the Tau'ri a threat. If that happened, even with the current state of civil war, the System Lords would muster a fleet to destroy you."

_Holy shit! She's really reading our minds isn't she? _Jack thought with a fearful shudder, even as he looked to Teal'c. He knew the Jaffa had mentioned the possibility in his debriefing when he first defected but he hadn't been certain. Now, a System Lord was repeating the same logic with a lot more confidence.

Much to his dismay, he received a nod in return confirming that he agreed with the snake's reasoning.

_Okay, so keeping all that advanced tech we've recovered and developed secret was a good idea after all._

"That I think is all the stories I owe you." Nimue said as she stood, her throne of water turning to mist and dissipating. "Goodbye SG 1. It was a pleasure meeting you."

She offered them a bow before turning and leaving.

* * *

Shortly after the end of their audience with Nimue, Jack and his team were escorted by her Jaffa back to the hotel to recover their gear before being marched back to the Stargate.

Along the way, Jack couldn't help but repeatedly work his jaw and test whether his newly regained voice was walking properly through some rather off key singing, or that's what he claims to his annoyed escorts. That this amused his teammates and helped calm them down a tad, was just an added bonus. It wasn't like that had been his main goal all along. Not at all.

As they walked back into the gate facility though, he stopped his latest rendition of _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ to take a look at the damage it had sustained in the attack it had supposedly been subjected to. Overall, it looked largely undamaged. The only signs of any conflict being the scorch marks and craters immediately around the gate and what must have been the hundreds of Jaffa present as part of its enhanced security.

_Either the whole attack was a hoax or whatever defenses they have in place must have worked well. _Jack concluded as he tallied up the minimal damage.

"They're already dialing for Earth," Carter noted, pointing with her gun towards a Jaffa at the Dial Home Device (DHD). "Didn't the Goa'uld lose the gate address?"

"Indeed, MajorCarter. However, Nimue is old enough to have been alive when it was common knowledge." Teal'c clarified.

"Speaking of Nimue," Daniel chimed in. "How much of what she said should we believe?"

"I say we remain skeptical of all of it." Carter said immediately as Teal'c nodded in agreement.

"The Goa'uld are masters of deception," the former First Prime reminded. "This whole thing was likely nothing more than an elaborate act."

"Exactly."

"I don't know about that, Carter, Teal'c." Jack said with a thoughtful frown as he recalled the look of empathy that Nimue wore when she heard about Sha're and the longing look she had when she talked about her own lover.

If nothing else, his gut told him that she wasn't acting then.

"I think the best we can do is to just wait and see." Jack said cautiously. "For now, key in the code into the GDO (Garage Door Opener), Carter. It's time to head home."

"Yes, sir." Carter said obligingly as she keyed in the necessary codes into the transmitter to ensure the protective iris on the SGC side of the wormhole would be open.

As they received the confirmation that the iris was open, Jack gestured his team through the wormhole one by one. He always did try to make sure, as far as possible, that he was the last one back.

"Man! This trip is gonna create _so much_ paperwork!" The Colonel whined as he stepped through the Stargate.

* * *

**And there you have it folks! SG 1 has officially entered the scene. I hope it was as nice to see them in this verse as it was for me to write them into it.**

**For fans of the team, don't worry they'll pop in and out of the story here and there. Even get a few more dedicated Interludes. But ultimately this story isn't about them, so they won't be the focus.**

**Now, I'm probably going to catch flak for using a cheap cop out for this because I totally am, but any OOCness is due to this being an AU. Deal with it! Not really. If the fixes are easy I'll go back and edit stuff, so let me know if I can make my characterization more canon. That said, if I need a major rewrite then I'll pass.**

**That's all I think. So till next time, ciao!**


	9. Unsteady First Steps

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 6: Unsteady First Steps**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Public nudity**

In the Pel'tak of a Ha'tak originally belonging to the Goa'uld System Lord Ba'al there stood a woman with a tall, thin build, almost to the point of being lanky, that had pale skin, blue eyes and long blonde hair. She was Elizabeth, Chevalier of Saya, and surrounding her were a small pack of Warriors under her command.

_We're almost to the target. _The collective of her Warriors sent to her, pulling the Chevalier from her admiration of the endless blue vista of hyperspace that had been on display on the main viewscreen.

_Very well, put on your disguises._ Elizabeth sent to her subordinates.

She sensed the slight feeling of annoyance her Warriors felt at having to assume the form of their enemies, but they nevertheless compiled without any compulsion. That, she thought, had a lot to do with her leading by example. Casually stripping out of her white long-sleeved chiffon blouse and mermaid hem skirt, she put on the captured powered armor of one of Ba'al's Second Primes even as her body's shape shifted into a broad shouldered dark skinned male.

All around her, the Warriors were likewise donning Jaffa armor and shifting into the humanoid shape of the Goa'uld's slave warriors complete with the disgusting brands on their foreheads. A process that, with the ease of familiarity, they completed within minutes.

_We're exiting hyperspace in a minute._

_All done?_ The newly transformed Elizabeth queried as she folded and hid her discarded clothes.

She got a wordless, disgruntled feeling of agreement from her Warriors and as she turned back to survey them saw not a pack of Chiropteran but a crew of Jaffa.

_Good. ETA?_

_10 seconds._

_Right. Show's on everyone. Time to break a leg._ Elizabeth sent humorously to her troops, not that they appreciated it if the burst of annoyance she received in reply was any indication anyways.

_Tough crowd. _The Chevalier mused, with a mental smile. _Let's hope our targets are easier pickings._

This was met with general agreement from her Warriors as the Ha'tak transited back to normal space into the middle of a large asteroid field. Specifically, they had emerged over a particular asteroid from which a sizable chunk had been hollowed out to facilitate the construction of a large structure that according to intelligence gathered served as one of the Goa'uld System Lord Heru'ur's secret weapons labs. It, like so much of Goa'uld construction, favored a pyramidal shape, and looked very much like a half finished pyramid that was in the midst of being carved out of its host asteroid.

_Just like we planned, fire a warning shot and hail them._

Her Warriors promptly obeyed and with a few keystrokes one of their number sent a deadly plasma cutting beam grazing along the edge of the lab's shields. Simultaneously, another worked the nearby communications console and hailed the enemy base.

It took a few seconds, presumably for the base's occupants to overcome their surprise, before the screen cleared to reveal a Goa'uld inhabiting a man with Mediterranean features and dressed in ostentatious purple robes accessorized by an excessive amount of jewelry.

"**Who dar-**" The Goa'uld began in the deep, booming voice they often used to intimidate their foes. It had no impact on her though as Elizabeth cut him off.

"Heathens!" She roared in a distinctly male voice. "Surrender in the name of your new god Lord Ba'al! I, Shelmal, Second Prime of the great god, am here to lay claim to your little base."

"**To the deepest pits of the Duat, you fools! We serve Heru'ur! We will never surrender to the likes of you.**"

"Then die!" Elizabeth said, gesturing to one of her Warriors to open fire.

Moments later her ship's plasma beam struck the lab's shields and began draining its strength as it attempted to drill its way past the energy bubble. At the same time, it opened up on the asteroid base with all 60 of its Staff Cannons adding to the strain on the beleaguered base's shield.

The lab was not completely helpless and returned fire with its own small batteries of a dozen Staff Cannon and by deploying its squadrons of Death Gliders. It nevertheless was woefully outmatched, and Elizabeth was starting to worry they might overpower it entirely before it could be relieved by reinforcements.

_That would complicate things. _The Chevalier thought worriedly. If they did disable the lab's defenses before its reinforcements arrived then to keep the ruse going they would have to send over boarding parties. While she did have the Warriors to pull it off, recovering them in a hasty retreat would be difficult. Yet, letting them fall into the hands of Heru'ur would ruin the whole scheme as while the shapeshifting of her kind was impressive it could be reversed if subjected to stress and the System Lord would undoubtedly torture any captives he took.

Thankfully, her worries proved unnecessary as moments before they could finish battering down the lab's shields, a hyperspace window opened to their port and disgorged a response fleet consisting of a Ha'tak and a pair of Shel'tak.

_Open a channel. Broad spectrum. Let all of them hear this parting act._

Elizabeth barely waited for the comms channel to open before she began shouting.

"Charge up the hyperdrive! We're retreating. Curses be upon you, you heathens!" Elizabeth said, still fully in the role of the Jaffa Shelmal. "I swear in the name of Lord Ba'al that I will return this favor someday! Beware my wrath!"

With this 'ominous' declaration, the captured Ha'tak slipped into hyperspace trailing questing plasma beams and bolts from Staff Cannons as it fled the battlefield.

Safely within the confines of the alternate dimension and her surroundings suffused by the blue light of their hyperspace tunnel, Elizabeth allowed herself a victorious smirk at a job well done even as she let her body shift back into her proper human form.

* * *

On the Chiropteran homeword of Chiroptera, the naked blue Queen of the Swarm sat in the cockpit of a large hovering machine the size of a large Earth truck that was vaguely reminiscent of a scarab beetle as it flew over golden fields of wheat ripe for the harvest and hoovered up the crop with a tractor beam. All around her Workers manned similar machines as they too harvested the fruit of the Hive's labour.

It was perhaps a task unbefitting a Swarm Queen, at least her genetic memory told her that her predecessors would think so, but Diva enjoyed helping out the lesser castes of her Hive whenever she found the time. So it was not uncommon to see her working alongside her Workers in the manufactories, shipyards, labs, farms or mines. Even Saya agreed, though she tended to favor spending time with the Warriors and Pilots as they carried out their drills instead.

Speaking of her beloved twin, Diva was just finishing the harvest of her assigned grid and flying her harvester to the collection depot when Saya's lovely voice reached her through the Hivemind.

_Diva, Thor is hailing us. _Saya said in the blunt manner that she tended towards. Honestly! Wasn't she the one who was raised as a human? How was it then that _Diva _ended up being the romantic one in their relationship?

_I'll be right there, my love._ The blue Queen sent back as she hastily inputted the commands into the harvester's systems to automate the last stages of the collection cycle, before she popped the cockpit and blurred away.

Moving at the supernaturally fast speeds made possible by their nature as Ascended Beings, Diva took only a little under a minute to travel from the farms at the edge of the Hive to a conveniently placed teleporter at this particular farming cluster's central hub. From there, it only took a moment more before she was blurring through the main Hive complex and into the command center.

She arrived to find her lover already in the midst of a discussion with their Asgard ally.

"It's down? How?"

"I'm uncertain." Thor admitted. "Though I suspect it had something to do with the Tau'ri's visit to the world."

_What did I miss?_ Diva asked as she pressed her nude body into Saya's side and was rewarded with her twin wrapping her arm around her and pulling her even closer.

_The Thor's Hammer on the Protected Planet of Cimmeria is down._ The red Queen informed her even as she sent feelings of frustration at Diva's nudity.

For her part, the blue Queen just smirked mischievously at her sister, whilst suppressing her own perpetual frustration at her sister's insistence on the need for clothes.

"Did you contact us just to let us know the Hammer is offline?" Diva asked, as she placed her head on her sister's shoulder. "Do you want us to go repair or replace it?"

"I wish that were all," Thor said with a sigh, a human gesture he'd picked up from interactions with them. "Unfortunately, it seems that the Goa'uld System Lord Heru'ur somehow discovered the fact that the Hammer was down and exploiting this has subsequently invaded the world. He is in fact, currently occupying it."

"You want us to intervene?" Saya asked eagerly.

"Yes," Thor confirmed. "I formally request that you play your part as one of the guarantors of the Protected Planets Treaty."

"Very well," Diva replied more reluctantly than her sister. "We will deploy our fleets immediately."

"You have my thanks."

* * *

As two squadrons of _Bonaparte_-class battleships and four squadrons of _Résurrection_-class frigates amounting to eighty ships in total cruised towards the orbit of the world known as Cimmeria, onboard the lead Chiropteran battleship, _the Poignard_, a handsome slender man with blonde hair and blue eyes with a cool and controlled demeanor allowed himself a small smile as he eyed the Goa'uld fleet arrayed against him through the eyes of the various Pilots of his fleet's ships.

This man was Louis, Chevalier of Diva. A young man that had been plucked out of poverty and obscurity on as a war chief of a tribe of raiders on a abandoned Goa'uld world that the Swarm had claimed for their own, and offered the honor of becoming one of the blue Queen's Chevaliers for his skill as a commander and prowess in battle. That and, as his Queen was often quick to tout to all who would listen, his good looks. Taking a new name of his new liege's choosing as was the way of his people, he had served the Swarm and his Queen loyally for the decades since.

_13 Ha'tak, 33 Shel'tak and 58 Al'kesh? _The Chevalier of Diva, thought as he saw the last of the enemy motherships raise from the atmosphere and join the rest of the fleet in orbit. _This will be a cakewalk._

_Open a channel to the Goa'uld._

The Pilot of _the Poignard _promptly obeyed, and moments later the central viewscreen of the largely redundant and thus empty bridge of the battleship flickered online to display the image of a severe looking bald man, with a well-trimmed beard, hooped earrings and wearing golden Jaffa armor.

"Heru'ur," Louis, the sole occupant of _the Poignard_'s bridge, greeted the System Lord. "Withdraw at once! This world is protected under the Protected Planets Treaty. Failure to comply will lead to your forceful eviction from the system."

"**You dare speak to me in such a way, lowly **_**Chevalier**_**!?**" The Goa'uld snarled, spitting Louis' caste out contemptuously.

"Need I repeat my warning, _Goa'uld_?" Louis said, returning the insult by likewise showing his disgust for the System Lord's race.

Instead of replying, the snake chose to cut the comm link and promptly had his flagship flee into hyperspace.

_Coward! _Louis thought to the broad agreement of the forces under his command.

Despite their 'god' taking flight however, the remainder of Heru'ur's fleet looked more than ready to fight as they formed up into the standard long firing line that the Goa'uld favored to start their engagements in and launched their Death Gliders. Together with the fleet's Al'kesh, these Gliders began rapidly closing with Louis' incoming fleet.

In response, Louis did nothing more than launch his own fighters in a protective forward screen. As with all the Swarm's previous missions to enforce the Protected Planets Treaty, Louis would allow the Goa'uld to fire the first shot despite having had the enemy well within the range of his guns almost as soon as his fleet had transited out of hyperspace.

_What a bunch of deluded fools. _Louis thought to himself with a shake of his head. _Throwing their lives away for a false god? What could be more foolish?_

Utterly confident in his numerical and technological superiority, Louis sat back and watched as the first enemy Death Gliders opened fire on the leading elements of his fighter swarm. Predictably the strike craft combat quickly turned in his favor, with his advantages soon overwhelming the hapless Jaffa pilots. Not that the combat went entirely the Chiropterans' way. Many of their fighters were downed by the skilled Jaffa, their ability fueled by the desperation of their situation. But nevertheless, the outcome was a foregone conclusion as one by one the Jaffa died in balls of short lived fire, their lives snuffed out just as quickly as the void smothered the flames of their wrecked machines.

_Though I must admit the Jaffa must be brave to fight with such tenacity even in the face of overwhelming odds._

Louis was suddenly shocked out of his complacency however when the Goa'uld capital ships begin opening fire on him earlier than he expected.

_Since when did they have the range to do this! Wait! They are concentrating their fire!_

Typically, a Goa'uld firing line spread its weapons fire across as many targets in the opposing fleet as possible as part of an attempt to take out as many ships in a single volley and also a result of the snake's arrogant belief in honorable combat. -_Not that know a thing about honor!_\- They saw such tactics as being as close to a one on one ship duel as could be managed in a chaotic space battle.

Yet, in this case, it seemed that the Goa'uld commander had tossed that culturally imposed logic out the window. Probably recognizing he was doomed, Louis' opposing number had decided to try to take as many of his enemy with him before he went down.

A tactic that quickly proved effective as two of the Chevalier's lead battleships, _Fer De Lance_ and _Javelot _were blown to pieces by the concentrated, sustained fire from the Goa'uld fleet. Their advanced shields incapable of withstanding the immense barrage that they had been subjected to.

_Spread out! Don't give them easy targets! _Louis ordered, his blood boiling with rage at the loss of two of his capital ships. _And open fire! Tear them to pieces._

Instantly, polaron bolts and positron beams shot across the void and into the Goa'uld fleet. Faced with this vastly superior firepower as unleashed by the Chiropteran fleet, Heru'ur's fleet practically evaporated leaving behind nothing but drifting wreckage to mark it ever existed.

Despite this though, Louis could only feel a sense of unease as he looked at the debris field the battle had created. The enemy had surprised him in this battle. What more surprises might they have in store? And could the Swarm and its allies weather them?

* * *

Sitting in a pavilion hastily set up by the native Cimmerians on the planet below, Daniel Jackson of SG 1 sat waiting for the meeting the locals had arranged between their Tau'ri friends and their mysterious saviors the Chiropterans. A meeting that Daniel had been surprised to discover had been requested the latter even before he could do so on the SGC's behalf.

He along with the rest of SG 1 had aided the Crimmerians in contacting the Asgard and thus had the privilege to watch with curiosity as the sky above was lit up brilliantly despite it being only the late afternoon by what he reasoned was a titanic space battle in the world's orbit shortly after they had passed Thor's trails and made contact with the enigmatic little grey aliens.

At that time, everyone had thought that the Asgard had come to save Crimmeria. But then their Crimmerian friend Gairwyn had returned via the Stargate and informed them that the Asgard had instead asked their ally the Chiropterans to come to assist them.

This had raised a host of new questions for Daniel.

As he sat in the basic wooden structure that the Crimmerians had built, the scholar found his mind preoccupied with trying to puzzle out the mysteries of the name of the race he's about to make first contact with.

_Just who were these Chiropterans? Chiroptera is the scientific name for bats and this race calls themselves the Chiropterans, is there a connection? _The archaeologist postulated, trying to draw conclusions from the little information he had at hand.

With practically nothing to work with, he was feeling woefully underprepared for a meeting with what was undoubtedly a powerful race.

_We really should wait for properly trained diplomats to gate in from Earth, _Daniel fretted. _But that's not an option here. Not when the other party requests that I be Earth's representative _by name_._

How they even knew who he was baffled him, but considering how advanced they could have, he reasoned, employed any number of ways to acquire the knowledge.

His thoughts were interrupted when a bright blue light engulfed the opposite corner from where he was sitting. As the light of the teleporter faded, it revealed a Caucasian man dressed in a fashionable looking three piece suit that wouldn't have looked out of place in some high end corporate office.

_Okay, that's a strange coincidence. _Daniel noted as he stood, to greet the man.

"Greetings, I'm-"

"The famous Doctor Daniel Jackson, the man who helped his people decipher the workings of the Stargate. I know very well, Dr. Jackson. It is an honor to meet you." The Chiropteran representative said with a respectful bow that Daniel returned. "My name is Louis, Chevalier of the Chiropteran Swarm."

_Chevalier? Isn't that French? _Daniel thought with a frown at one more seemingly inexplicable connection to Earth.

"Um, it's an honor to meet you too," Daniel replied, stumbling a little in light of his confusion.

Louis nodded and gestured for them to take their seats, which Daniel obliged. He noticed as he did however that his counterpart's chair seemed comically oversized though he made no comment on it and neither did the other man. In fact, the Chiropteran seemed to be pleasantly surprised by the fact.

_I wonder why? _The archaeologist thought as they both took their seats.

He waited until they were both comfortable before posing his next question.

"Chevalier, I am surprised that your race is human," Daniel said as tactfully as he could. "To my understanding there are few human nations capable of standing up to the Goa'uld and fewer still who would so openly oppose them."

"That much is true," Louis admitted with a laugh. "But who said I was human."

The archaeologist was about to reply but was instead left in shock as suddenly Louis' form began to shift in front of his eyes. With the sound of ripping cloth, his body almost doubled in mass as he transformed into a humanoid creature with dark brown skin and much of his body covered in spikes. Two horns protruded from his head and smaller ones grew from the sides of his jaw. His upper body was covered in armor-like skin, whereas his digitigrade legs were covered in fur. Overall, his appearance could be best described as monstrous was, a descriptor that was further emphasized by the way his eyes glowed a bright red in this form.

"T-That's-" Daniel sputtered as he tried to comprehend the fantastical turn of events he had just borne witness to. Thankfully, he had plenty of experience with doing just that and was able to quickly recover his wits.

"Is your whole race shapeshifters?"

The Chevalier laughed, a terrifying sound that stirred a sense of primal fear in Daniel but which the seasoned gate traveler smothered with the ease of practice. One did not explore the gate network without learning how to be brave in the face of the fear inducing.

"I'm impressed, Dr. Jackson," the Chiropteran said at least. "Most humans react much more violently to his transformation."

"I've seen my fair share of monsters," Daniel replied with a shrug. "And if there's one thing that has taught me is that appearances alone doesn't make one terrifying."

Louis nodded approvingly.

"To answer your question, good doctor. Yes, all of my kind can shapeshift though the level of skill varies between castes."

"Caste?" Daniel asked, fascinated by this race and its workings.

If they had castes, were they like eusocial insects? Or did Louis mean a socially constructed caste systems and shapeshifting was a skill whose full scope was offered to only the most privileged? All these questions and more were things that Daniel eagerly wanted to know the answers for.

"Apologies, Dr. Jackson, but I am not at liberty to explain more. Besides, we have other things to discuss."

Setting aside his curiosity with some difficulty, Daniel agreed with a nod.

"You're right, of course. So what exactly does the Chiropteran Swarm want to discuss with the SGC?"

"We owe you an explanation for our intervention today," the Chevalier explained. "As you might already know, my race is a peer of the Asgard and a fellow guarantor of the Protected Planets Treaty."

"You are allies then?"

"We consider them as such, however the Asgard are more divided on the matter." Louis informed him with a shrug. "And before you ask, I cannot elaborate. As with much that I am forced to keep secret, it is done so at the behest of the Asgard."

Daniel frowned but nodded. After his team's experience with Thor's trails, he had a fair idea of the Asgard's reasoning in that regard. They were quite set on the idea of non-interference with more primitive cultures. It was an ideal that Daniel personally subscribed to as well, but which he could not help but think the grey aliens were enforcing a little too strictly.

"Can you tell me what's the Protected Planets Treaty?"

"That I can do," the Chevalier said with a nod. "It is a treaty between the Goa'uld and the Asgard and the Chiropterans that ensures that certain planets remain free from Goa'uld oppression. It was to enforce this Treaty that I led a fleet to liberate this world from Heru'ur's occupation."

"If your two races care so much about Goa'uld oppression why not fight them and liberate all their worlds?"

_Do they lack thee manpower or resources to do so?_

"If we could, we would." Louis said with a regretful sigh. "However, circumstances prohibit both our races from doing so at the moment."

"I take it that you're prohibited from explaining what you mean by 'circumstances' as well?" Daniel asked, disgruntled with the lack of information.

"My apologies, Dr. Jackson." The Chevalier said, sounding sincere. "Do not think too badly of the Asgard though for enforcing such secrecy. They have their reasons."

Daniel didn't like it but knew he had no choice but to accept things as they stood.

"Very well," the archaeologist said with a resigned sigh. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I'm afraid not, good doctor." The bestial alien said as he stood, Daniel following suit. "Though I can offer you some advice."

"And that is?"

"It might be in Earth's best interest that it comes under the Protected Planets Treaty."

"I'll forward that suggestion to my superiors," Daniel said with a nod.

"That is all the Swarm can ask of you," the Chevalier said with a bow. "May fortune favor you and your team on your adventures, Dr. Jackson. Till we meet again, au revoir."

With that parting farewell, the Chiropteran was engulfed by a blinding white light and presumably transported back to his orbiting ship. In the wake of his departure, Daniel could only stand there and try to piece together what this meeting meant for Earth.

* * *

**And done!**

**Wow! This turned out to be a surprisingly long chapter. Well, at least it exceeded my expectations for it anyways. **

**Regardless of its length, I hope you guys liked it. **

**Only one detail, I think needs expansion here and that's the dichotomy between the roles Diva and Saya, and by duplication their daughter Queens. As shown by Diva's preference for managing/engaging in the domestic affairs of the Hive and Saya's preference for training for conflict/fighting itself, the Queens will not share the same interests/responsibilities when it comes to ruling their Hives. The whole point of the Twin Queen system is to allow them to complement each other and create strength from diversity in thought.**

**Besides this elaboration, I think that's it for me. So till next time, ciao.**


	10. The Snakes' Counterattack

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 7: The Snakes' Counterattack**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Incest, Public Nudity**

Diva sported a satisfied little smirk as she kissed her way down her sister's beautiful neck even as her twin arched her back in ecstasy as she pushed her ovipositor deeper into her lover through their joined bodies. She so enjoyed returning the favour. As much as she found intense pleasure at letting Saya reduce her to a mewling mess, she found a greater joy in turning her usually stern and commanding sister into a blubbering wreck with pleasure. Not that the process itself did not incite pleasure in her in its own right, the sensation of pushing herself into her sister's body brought with it its own pleasure but it paled in comparison to the rapture, at least for her, of being impregnated. Of letting Saya plant her eggs in her uterus where her body would fertilise it and the next generation of their Swarm would come into being as her beloved sister had allowed her to experience earlier in the night.

"D-Diva, d-de-deeper!" Saya gasped out between pleased sobs, even as Diva's trail of kisses finally made its way to her sister's breasts.

Kissing tenderly around both palm sized treasures the blue Queen breathed her reply against her lover's flushed skin, "As _your Majesty_ commands."

Taking her sister's right nipple between her teeth and biting it lightly just like Saya liked it, Diva simultaneously pushed her ovipositor as far inside her sister as it could go. At this dual stimulation, the already overwrought Saya came completely undone and cried out her pleasure in a ear splitting scream of raw pleasure.

The intense emotions naturally spilled over through their Hivemind and into Diva's own mind. It joined with her own slowly bubbling delight and she too loss herself to her rapture. Crying out in her own joy, her body responded accordingly and her ovipositor _finally _released her eggs into her sister's waiting womb.

With both of them satisfied and impregnated, the seal created by their joined labias relaxed and Diva rolled off her sister to lay beside her. Panting as they tried to regain their breaths and wits, the twins instinctively cuddled together even as their stomachs swelled with new life.

Unfortunately, their blissful afterglow was interrupted by an urgent telepathic message from the Worker collective in the Hive complex's command center.

_Urgent transmission. Nimue. _

Both twins sighed in frustration, but did not hesitate to immediately push off their bed and blur towards the command center. As much as they would have liked to enjoy the aftermath of their lovemaking a little longer, both Queens knew their friend would not contact them with an "urgent" communication for anything less than something truly important. And as the leaders of their race, they needed to put the needs of their people before their own pleasure.

As they both arrived in the command center, Diva was pleasantly surprised to see that like her Saya had not bothered to get dressed and had arrived just as naked as she was.

_Looks like there's hope in getting her to overcome her lingering humanity yet. _The blue Queen mused as she unabashedly admired her twin's beauty, especially her by now much expanded abdomen and the life that she had just implanted there.

"Saya, Diva," Nimue's greeting from the central viewscreen had Diva regretfully turning away from ogling her sister to focus on the conversation at hand. "I appear to have interrupted something."

"Nimue," Saya said returning their friend's greeting with a diplomatic nod. "You said this was urgent?"

The Ascended Goa'uld raised an eyebrow at their evasion, but made no comment instead choosing to allow the deflection and get down to business.

"Yes. I have received intelligence that I feel is of great import to the Swarm."

"What is it?" Diva asked warily.

_What are the Goa'uld doing that's got Nimue so worried about us?_

Despite the Swarm's best efforts, they had never truly been able to close the gap in intelligence gathering with Nimue. At least not within the Goa'uld Empire. While they had established a network of observation probes across the galaxy that surpassed even the impressive Asgard array, even with their shapeshifting they had never been able to infiltrate the Empire to the extent their ally had. A result of the snakes perfecting sensors that could, at least at close range, detect their presence even while shapeshifted.

"Heru'ur has convinced a number of System Lords to join him in mustering for an attack against some of your more vulnerable Hives."

"Are they suicidal?" Saya asked incredulously. "Didn't he learn anything from the trouncing we gave him over Cimmeria?"

"That's the thing, Saya, he went away from that engagement with exactly the wrong lesson." Nimue told them, looking exasperated. Clearly the other System Lord's response had left her shocked too. "He's somehow taken the fact that he managed to take down a couple of your battleships in that skirmish as proof that you _can _be beaten."

"And the other System Lords believe him?"

"Some of them do," Nimue said with a disbelieving shake of her head. "Apophis I know for sure has agreed to lend his forces to this fool's errand. But others like Cronos and Ba'al are sitting on the fence for the moment."

"They plan to be see how the first strikes go, I take it." Saya asked sounding disgusted at what Diva could feel was what her twin saw as cowardice.

"It would appear so."

"Do you have any other details? Like where they might strike?" Diva asked, hopefully.

"No," Nimue informed them apologetically. "They are massing their fleets well within their own domains and probably intend a long hyperspace transit directly to their targets."

"Which means it's impossible to determine by their fleet movements what those targets are." Saya noted with a frown. "Have you been able to discover anything from their plans?"

"Unfortunately not. All I know, at this stage, is that they intend to attack the Swarm. Though I will make it a priority to unearth more and to forward the relevant information to you as I acquire it."

"Thanks as always, Nimue." Diva offered sincerely.

"It is my pleasure to be of assistance." Nimue said with a smile. "I'll go now and hound my agents for any intel. Hopefully, I can get back to you shortly. Till then, happy snake hunting."

"To you as well," Saya agreed, offering a wave that Diva emulated.

Returning their wave, Nimue cut the connection.

The moment the viewcreen blanked out, Diva turned to Saya.

"Are we ready for this, sister?" Diva asked worriedly. "Even after a hundred years of growth we're still grossly outnumbered by the Goa'uld."

Taking a step to her side, Saya pulled her into a hug,

"Everything will be fine, Diva." Her sister reassured her. "We've prepared as much as we can and we have strong and willing allies who will help us face this challenge."

_I hope it's enough._

_It will be._

Diva wished she shared her sister's confidence.

* * *

Even as Nimue delivered her warning to the Swarm Queens...

In a carefully tended garden on the Chiropteran world of Papillon, Amelia, one of the local Hive Queens sat under a tree as she tapped into the minds of her subjects and conducted a review of the health of her kingdom. She took the form of a young girl of about twelve with long turquoise hair that reached her bottom and was dressed in an elaborate Victorian style dress, the style she and her sister queens tended to favor.

_Hmm… The Workers in the wheat mills seem a little shorthanded. I'll need to divert the next batch of Workers from the Birthing Chambers to bol-_

Amelia's train of thought was abruptly cut off when she felt a weight settle on her stomach. Snapping her crimson eyes open, she glared at the culprit: her blue eyed twin, Pamela.

Instead of being cowed by her glare though, Pamela giggled playfully and hopping to her feet grabbed hold of Amelia's left arm before proceeding to try pulling her up.

"Ameila~," the mischievous little mix sang. "Come play hide and seek with me!"

"No," the more serious sister said as she got to her feet. "And stop being so childish. We're not little girls anymore. We've already left Mama Saya and Mama Diva and set up our own Hive, that makes us adults. We should act like it."

"What does it matter how we behave?" Pamela shot back. "I mean all that's important is that we take good care of our Hive, right?"

Pulling her arm out of her twin's grip, Amelia crossed her arms and glared at her playful co-Queen.

"And who does all the work to ensure that?"

"I help too," Pamela whined, pouting.

The sight was irresistible to Amelia and her annoyance melted away.

"Oh, alright." She said with a sigh of defeat. "I'll play. But only one round, okay?"

Pamela shouted for joy and glomped her twin, bouncing in happiness. Her over the top reaction brought a smile to Amelia's own face.

_Maybe taking a break to play with Pam for a bit isn't so bad after all._ Amelia thought as she hugged her sister back to stop her bouncing.

Sadly, their game was cut shot before it even began as a sense of alarm screamed through their Hivemind. This immediately poured cold water on their plans and the Queens exchanged a worried look. Seeing the naked fear in her sister's eyes, Amelia couldn't resist giving her sister a reassuring kiss on the temple.

"We need to get to the command center," Amelia told her sister who just nodded.

_Lead the way, sister. _Pamela shot back, her mental voice still ringing with fear but now also threaded through with determination and confidence that her sister would lead them out of whatever crisis they were facing.

Amelia was honestly humbled by this vote of confidence, but put aside contemplating the implications, if any, of what it meant for later. They had to settle whatever the problem was first.

As such, she nodded in acceptance of her sister ceding to her leadership and blurred to their command center, her sister following behind her. As she came to a stop in the center of the room filled with consoles and the many frantic Workers manning them, Amelia dipped into the Hivemind to assess what the situation was.

_Large Goa'uld fleet. _The Hivemind was practically screamed as they floundered for a response. And Amelia could see why. Large was an understatement!

"They have over 60 Ha'tak and hundreds of smaller ships!" Pamela said in a fearful whisper from next to Amelia.

The red eyed Queen could only nod in horrified agreement.

_How could this be happening!?_

Despite their relative proximity to the System Lord Heru'ur's space, Amelia had never seriously thought that the Goa'uld would attack them. She and Pamela were part of the pacifist faction in the Swarmmind who believed in trading on their race's reputation to avoid conflict while they built up their forces. As a result of this, they had deprioritized military production, thinking they could shift focus to that _after _they had firmly established their Hive's economics.

Now that decision was coming back to haunt them.

_We only have ten Bonaparte-class battleships and 30 Résurrection-class frigates. That's nowhere near enough to repel an attack this big!_ Pamela all but screamed in distress into Amelia's mind.

Her twin's raw fear was just what Amelia needed to jolt her into action though.

_Rek'tor! _Amelia reached out, towards her Chevalier.

_I am here, my Queen. _The former Reetou replied as his flat insectoid face with his eyestalks on either side greeted her grimly as his image appeared in her mind's eye. _What are your orders?_

_Hold the enemy off. Buy us time to evacuate through the Chappa'ai._

_And my Reetou brethren? _Rek'tor asked, carefully.

Papillion might be a Chiropteran world _now_, but it originally belonged to a small colony of Reetou of which Rek'tor had been a member. A colony that Amelia and Pamela had worked out an agreement with to share the planet, that Rek'tor's conversion had been a symbolic seal to.

_I'll try. _Amelia said after a moment's hesitation. _We'll try to evacuate as many of them as they can._

_Thank you, my Queen._

_Fight well. _Amelia offered in parting as she withdrew from the direct connection. Turning to Pamela, she saw her sister was already deep in the Hivemind organizing the planetside evacuation.

Nodding in approval, she sunk back into the Hivemind to do the same, But not before reaching out to take her sister's hand and giving it in a firm squeeze.

_We'll get out of this, I promise!_

* * *

_Fight well. _

On board his Hive's flagship, the battleship _Duchêne_, Rek'tor felt invigorated by his Queen's parting words. He knew he was about to face impossible odds, but the encouragement from the mother who had remade him stirred in him a determination to not fail her.

_I will die before I let my Queen down. _The former Reetou thought to himself. _And I'll do so as a Chiropteran._

With a thought, his insectoid body bulged as the transformation into his true form took effect. Large bat like wings sprouted from his upper body while a scorpion's tail grew of of his abdomen, even as his two rearmost pairs of legs grew more robust so as to become able to take his full weight while his first pair of legs transformed themselves into a set of mantis like pincers.

Even as his body transformed, he let his mind meld with the fleet collective.

_All Pilots_. He sent to his whole fleet. _We must hold the Goa'uld off until our Queens can escape through the Chappa'ai. Or die trying._

In reply, he received a burst of grim determination from the Pilots.

_Good. The enemy have entered range. Fire at will!_

At his command, all forty Chiropteran capital ships opened fire on the closing enemy fleet. A dozen Goa'uld ships died in a barrage of polarion plasma, positron beams and photon torpedoes even before they got close enough to return fire.

_No Ha'taks? _Rek'tor noted with disappointment as the Goa'uld effectively used their lighter ships, primarily Al'kesh, to screen their more powerful motherships.

He didn't dwell on the disappointment long though as he coordinated his ships as they formed up into a wall in geosynchronous orbit over the Hive Complex to prevent the Goa'uld form bombarding it while simultaneously deploying his fighters to intercept the massive swarm of incoming Goa'uld strike craft.

The whole while, his ships kept firing. Thus it was amidst a storm of polarion plasma, positron emissions, stray photons and the burning wrecks of Al'kesh and the occasional Shel'tak that the two strike groups engaged each other.

Through the eyes of the Pilots he saw that the snakes were fielding new variants of their standard Gliders.

_Let's see how effective they are. _Rek'tor thought as he deepened his connection to one of his fighters dueling with a pair of the new Goa'uld fighters.

He was immediately awash with the frustration of the chosen fighter Pilot as it struggled to shake off a pair of incredibly maneuverable craft with a a single wing curved into a cylinder around the central hull and tied by horizontal airfoils to the fuselage, with a Staff Cannon mounted at each point where the wing met the airfoils. The cannons were pretty low yield, but the Pilot's inability to get out of their sights meant its armor quickly got torn to pieces by repeated hits.

Finally giving up on shaking his tails the conventional way, the Pilot converted to robot mode. This move allowed him to completely invert his inertia in an instant and turn around to face its pursuers which hastily tried to bank away but were summarily vaporized by a barrage of plasma fire revealing their practically paper thin armor.

Before it could celebrate its victory however the Pilot was obliterated by heavy plasma fire from above.

Hastily connecting himself to the eyes of another nearby Pilot, Rek'tor saw a large shielded crescent shaped fighter with underslung shipgrade Staff Cannons fly pass the wreckage of the other Chiropteran fighter. Fueled by rage, this new Pilot destroyed the trio of conventional Gliders it had been engaging with a barrage of its photon torpedoes and gunned its engines in pursuit of the new heavy fighter. The thing proved slow and lacking in maneuverability, allowing it to easily catch up but it was heavily armored and it took a half dozen direct hits before it was downed.

_They might be a problem. _Rek'tor concluded as he pulled back from the fighter Pilots. _Those interceptors are nigh unshakable and in numbers can take us down easily enough. Or failing that pin us down for those heavy fighters to finish off. And those heavy fighters are so heavily armed that they're as much of a threat to our ships as a Al'kesh._

He was unable to give it more thought as the Goa'uld capital ships were finally about to enter their effective firing range.

_We've only managed to sink 4 Ha'tak and 12 Shel'tak!?_ Rek'tor noted with worried incredulity. _That's nowhere near enough to even the odds. With these numbers the snakes can consolidate their fire from multiple ships, largely negating our technological edge._

Despite this though, he didn't order his ships to pull back and gain distance to continue sniping at the enemy in a bid to further whittle down their numbers as perhaps would have been wise.

_Hold position. _He ordered to the ship Pilots. _We_ must _protect the Hive complex until our Queens are evacuated._

He had no sooner given the order than did the Goa'uld enter their effective range and immediately open fire. They struck with a mighty vengeance and the _Arnaud_ battleship was sunk almost instantly, while the _Hugo _and _Mélin_ were forced to the rear to recharge their shields.

_They're targeting the battleships! _Rek'tor noticed. _Frigates move forward and shield them!_

Even as his frigates rushed to the fore, the battleship _Ryner_ was sunk by the Goa'uld fire alongside the frigates _Tour De Garde_, _Forteresse_, and _Fossé_. The snakes, of course, did not get away with this unscathed, as the closer range allowed Rek'tor's ships to also better focus their fire allowing them to down no less than 12 Ha'tak and 21 Shel'tak in the same time.

_But they can absorb their losses better than we can._ He concluded grimly.

Even as he made this disheartening observation he lost the frigates _Bouclier_, _Scutum_, _Parme_, and _Mantelet_.

_We've already lost 9 ships! _He thought in a panic. _At this rate, we won't hold long enough._

_Have escaped via Chappa'ai. Retreat. Repeat. Have escaped. Retreat!_

The long awaited telepathic message from his Queens was a balm to Rek'tor's panicked mind and inspired an intense rush of relief throughout the whole Hive.

_All forces break off and retreat. Repeat. Break off and retreat. _Rek'tor ordered all his forces even as the _Duchêne _unloaded its main positron cannon into an enemy Ha'tak, blasting a gaping hole through it before proceeding to fly right through the wreck and out pass the Goa'uld lines. Raining polarion plasma at the many Goa'uld ships all around it, and sinking a retreating Shel'tak in the process, the Chiropteran battleship finally pulled away from the combat and successfully jumped into hyperspace alongside the survivors of its Hive fleet.

As the blue light of the alternate dimension suffused the otherwise empty bridge, Rek'tor tallied his losses.

_We lost four battleships, including the Péricat and Vanderpol which went down in the retreat. That's almost half our squadron! For the frigates we lost the Morion, Coolos, Bascinet, Kegelhelm, Spangenhelm, Barbuta, Sallet, Gambeson, Cuir Bouilli and Haubert in the retreat. Add that to the seven we lost in the actual battle that means we lost 17 frigates in total. That's more than half our frigates!_

If Rek'tor were human he would have sank to his knees in dismay at the terrible news, as it was he let out a low guttural growl of pain.

_Including the loss of our Hive complex and Papillion itself, this is a massive loss for us! How will we ever recover from this?_

* * *

**And done!**

**Now, I just realized as I wrote this chapter that I might be overdoing the sexualization of the Chiropterans. It started out as an attempt to highlight how different they, or at least their Queens, are from humans despite their somewhat human origins. Because what's more basic to human nature than sex? And what better way to show difference from humanity than to show the differing sexual habits of another race? But I find I might be becoming too gratuitous with it. I'm not going to stop though, as I've already set a trend in regards to Chiropteran sexuality, but I'm just going to be up front with my reasons for treating it the way I do.**

**Besides that, everything else in this chapter is pretty self-explanatory so I'll not expand on it further.**

**Till next time, peace out!**


	11. The Bats Gather For War

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 8: The Bats Gather For War**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: mentions of Incest**

In her lavish bedroom on Chiroptera, Saya sat on her four poster bed as she ran a hand comfortingly down the back of the fitfully sleeping Pamela while she addressed the girl's twin.

"You did well Amelia," she told her daughter in a calm, collected voice. "Not only did you manage to evacuate much of your Hive and our Reetou allies in a short amount of time exploiting your teleporters, you also succeeding in denying the Goa'uld valuable salvage by setting the Hive complex's generators to overload."

Saya wasn't exaggerating. Her daughters' plan to use the teleporters to essentially break down the population of their world into data and then transmit it through the Chappa'ai had been inspired and likely the only thing that allowed them to get as many people off the planet as they did. That they had managed this while simultaneously arranging to destroy their Hive complex to prevent the Goa'uld acquiring technology they might reverse engineer was a remarkable achievement. It showed a levelheadedness under fire that was laudable.

"I still could have done better," Amelia said with a shake of head. "I could have taken the possibility of an attack more seriously and prepared for it."

_We are always our own worst critics. _Saya mused, as she offered her daughter an encouraging smile.

"Do not dwell on what ifs, daughter."

_Are you trying to comfort Amelia or yourself? _Diva, out in the command center and monitoring Goa'uld fleet movements, chimed in over the Swarm Queens' twin bond. _This disaster is as much your fault as the girls'. You're in charge of our military yet you failed to take into account the speed with which the Goa'uld could strike._

_I understand my fault in this. _Saya acknowledged. _I should have warned the whole Swarm the moment we got Nimue's warning. I underestimated the snakes. I know not to make that mistake again._

"We'll make the Goa'uld pay for this," Saya assured both her daughter and Diva at once. "I've already put out the call. Soon the collective might of the Swarm will be ready to grind them into dust."

* * *

Nimue stepped into the Chiropteran section of the Ascended Plane to a surreal scene. The usually calm Parisian cafe that was filled with the happy chatter of the Swarm's Queens was utterly silent and devoid of any of Saya and Diva's daughters. Even more unsettlingly, tables were overturned all over the place, and the cafe's large glass windows had been shattered littering the floor with glass shards. All in all, the whole place looked looked as if a riot had passed through and ransacked it.

_A riot of angry women upset on their sisters' behalf. _

Nimue kept her thoughts to herself as she walked to one of the few upright tables at which the Swarm Queens were seated and with a nod in greeting to her two friends, took her seat.

"You have my condolences for your losses," the System Lord told the two other women.

"Thank you." Diva said while playing the gracious host and pouring Nimue a cup of tea.

"Do you know who were responsible for the attack on Amelia and Pamela's Hive?"

Nimue took a sip of her tea before nodding.

"It was a joint force of Heru'ur, Cronus and Apophis' troops."

"Those three will pay dearly for this." Saya promised.

"The Swarm will have its revenge." Diva agreed.

_They are really worked up, huh? _Nimue mused, surprised by the intensity of their reaction. Truth be told, their losses weren't actually all that great relatively speaking. She herself had suffered reversals of far greater magnitude in the past and just rolled with it. Yet, here were her friends utterly furious at the lost of a single world and a dozen and a half ships.

Though that wasn't the source of their rage was it? If Nimue was to hazard a guess, their anger stemmed far less from their material losses than the shock and upset this attack had caused their daughters.

_I know I would react similarly if something like this happened to Eldarose or Kalwart._

Again though she kept her thoughts to herself. The Swarm Queens needed no more goading to action. This fact alone brought a smile of grim satisfaction to her lips.

"Then I suppose it is finally time for the galaxy to know the full wrath of the Chiropteran Swarm."

* * *

Thor sat on his command throne aboard the _Biliskner_ as it was thoroughly cleansed by keron disruptor fields and repaired in the shipyards of Othala after his latest battle in his race's long running war with the Replicator menace. Though that particular war was not on the forefront of his mind at the moment, for he had another urgent matter to deal with.

"Saya, Diva," the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet greeted the two women who he had come to regard as his friends as their image appeared on the viewscreen he had summoned in front of him. "Apologies for not contacting you earlier, I was previously engaged. You have my condolences for the lost of one of your worlds."

"It is appreciated," the blue Queen said. "Though I take it that you did not contact us just to tell us that."

"You presume correctly, my friends." Thor said with a smile. "I have just finished deliberating with the High Council and we have decided to offer you military assistance."

Despite his pleasant tone, Thor was privately furious with the Council. The only reason they had _finally _decided to properly treat the Chiropterans as allies after this incident was because, in the words of his fellow Councilor, Baldar, they had "been humbled" by this loss to the Goa'uld.

_They practically saved our people through their gift of Keron technology and this was how the Council chooses to repay them? My fellow Councilors disgust me._

"The help is greatly appreciated," Saya said with a nod. "However, I must insist that any forces you send to assist us only participate in bolstering our own defenses."

This statement came as a surprise to Thor but more so to Diva who spun around to glare at her sister with glowing blue eyes. Saya stood firm however and glared back defiantly, her own eyes glowing red.

_They must be debating the issue telepathically. _The Asgard reasoned.

He could understand their disagreement. In their position, he too might have once felt the urge to lash out with everything they had, including whatever support their allies offered, in a fit of vengeance. But the long war with the Replicators had taught him the need to temper his rage and maintain his calm.

Doing so, he could see what Saya might be driving at. It was _the Swarm_ who had been defeated, thus overtly using the power of their allies to gain vengeance for that would severely undermine their credibility among the powers in the Milky Way. As such, while the Swarm undeniably needed to retaliate, it needed to do so with _its own assets_. At the same time, she was not foolish enough to turn down assistance when it was offered and if his ships could help bolster her defenses and free up more of her own for her counteroffensive then all the better.

_She really does have quite the mind for both politics and war._

At long last, the Swarm Queens' debate ended with Diva letting out a frustrated groan and nodding to her sister.

"We will proceed as outlined earlier," Saya confirmed to Thor.

"Very well. I will be able to dispatch 13 _Bilskirnir_-class warships that can be deployed at your discretion." The Supreme Commander informed them. "I'm afraid I cannot spare more than that for a long term deployment in the Milky Way at the moment. However, should the need arise, I am ready to deploy a more sizable force to assist."

"You have our thanks Thor," Saya said with a grateful nod. "I'm sending the coordinates for where we would like you to send those ships now."

Thor confirmed receipt of the coordinates with a nod.

"May you earn a great victory."

"Oh, we will." Diva reassured him, a vicious gleam in her eyes. "The snakes won't know what hit them."

_Indeed they won't. _Thor mused as he closed the subspace connection. _The Goa'uld certainly have no idea what kind of sleeping monster they've awoken._

* * *

Haji stood one step behind his Queens as he escorted them in a review of the fleet the Swarm has mustered for its counterattack from the bridge of the _Bonaparte_.

Much to his relief it seemed that that Saya had managed to convince Diva to wear something today, even if the lingerie nightgown was grossly inappropriate for what they were doing.

_At least she isn't naked. _The former human thought to himself. It had left him unsettled every time he saw her or god forbid his own Queen naked. Sadly it was becoming increasingly common as Saya bowed to Diva's pressure to give up her human mores.

Though today at least it seemed that she had resisted and was dressed in a plain red dress.

Haji could understand his Queen's plight, he too had felt an ever growing disconnect with his humanity especially so as he reached an age where as a mere man he would have long been dead and buried. Despite that however, he at least would continue to hold onto the small ember of what he once was.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the battleship finished moving into a position that allowed them to have a good view of the whole gathered Swarmfleet. It had been formed as the Swarm Queens had pulled elements from not only their own Hivefleet but also from those of their daughters, allowing them to amass what was undeniably an impressive sight.

Arrayed them in their various squadrons were no less than 370 _Bonaparte-class _battleships and 735 _Résurrection_-class frigates.

A fleet that was perhaps the single largest collection of firepower the galaxy had seen in millennia and was enough to threaten _any _power in the Milky Way galaxy.

"This will do," Diva said with a proud nod. "I'll like to see the snakes stand up to this."

"I would rather see them burn." Saya said, as she shot her sister a bloodthirsty grin.

"Oh! That's so much better." Diva said, clapping her hands appreciatively. "Burn the snakes!"

"_**Burn the snakes**_**!**" Haji echoed along with the billions of Chiropteran that made up the Swarm.

* * *

**And done!**

**Hope you liked this buildup for the Chiropterans going on the offensive for real. I tried to make it epic as possible, so if it can be improved do let me know. I'm open to editing anything barring a major rewrite.**

**That's it for this chapter's AN. See you next chapter!**


	12. The Hammer Falls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 9: The Hammer Falls**

**Beta:**

* * *

Leading the Swarmfleet from onboard the _Poignard_, Louis smiled as the large fleet dropped out of hyperspace over Heru'ur's throne world of Edfu. A smile which only grew as he saw the size of the enemy before him.

_48 Ha'tak, 87 Shel'tak and 249 Al'kesh?_ The Chevalier scoffed. _Sizable by Goa'uld standards I suppose but utterly insufficient against us._

A fact that the enemy must be aware of. Yet, instead of fleeing the Goa'uld ships bravely formed up for battle.

_Brave, but suicidal. _Louis thought as his smile gained a bloodthirsty edge. _This will be easy._

As he closed into the effective range of his ships though, Louis discarded all distractions for the battle at hand.

_All ships! Fire at will._

With one voice, the Swarmfleet screamed its righteous anger at the void and unleashed a storm of energy weapons at the hapless Goa'uld fleet.

* * *

Viewing the opening shots of the battle of Edfu via the Hivemind, Elizabeth smirked to herself.

_So it's begun,_ The female Chevalier noted. _Well that means I should get started as well. Wouldn't want to let Brother take all the glory._

With that thought she turned to look at the two dozen warriors under her command as they finished checking their equipment, especially the personal cloaking devices that had been added to their cybernetic loadout for this mission.

_All ready, Chevalier. _The Warriors' collective informed her at her questioning look.

Nodding, the blonde woman checked her own equipment. Starting with the form fitting black space suit that her Queen insisted she wear despite her nature as a Chevalier making her perfectly capable of operating in the vacuum of space without it.

_Saya is such a worrywart, _Elizabeth mused as the suit's diagnostic returned all green for it and her own attached cloaking device.

_Redundant space suit, check. Cloaking device, check. _

Reaching behind her back she slung the backpack she was wearing off her shoulders and unzipped it to peer inside.

_Seismic Charges check. _The Chevalier thought to herself absently as she zipped the backpack closed and slung it back on.

_Alright then, gentle Warriors, let's go. _Elizabeth sent, amused at her little joke.

Sadly Warriors had very little, if any, sense of humor and none of them appreciated her joke. They did though dutifully file out of the airlock of the cloaked _Résurrection_-class frigate, the _Stylet_, and onto the asteroid it had landed upon.

An asteroid that housed their target: a weapons development lab run by Cronus.

Moving across the surface of the rock drifting in space at the mercy of the gravity of the larger celestial bodies in the star system, Elizabeth wordlessly ordered her Warriors to spread out and place their own charges even as she did the same.

_The Goa'uld are such copycats. They see one of their own build an asteroid base and now it's all the rage. _Elizabeth thought idly as she secured a charge, primed the weapon and then pushed off to move on to the next predetermined location for the next charge.

The process of laying the charges took almost an hour, yet in that whole time the Chiropterans were not disturbed even once.

_Is Cronus really _that _confident? _Elizabeth scoffed with a shake of her head as she boarded the _Stylet _alongside her Warriors. _Where are his patrols? Or even just some sentries?_

Once everyone was safely onboard, Elizabeth ordered the frigate to push its sublight engines to maximum and make as much distance with Cronus' little lab as quickly as possible. As the Pilot did as she ordered, she dove into its external cameras and watched as the planetoid grew ever smaller. Simultaneously, she kept a constant watch on the marker she'd set for the safe distance they needed to clear.

The moment they crossed that line, by which point the planetoid was little more than one rocky speck among many in its asteroid field, Elizabeth pressed a button on the wrist of her suit. Immediately a series of violent explosions shook the rock, lighting up the void for as far as the frigate's cameras should see. When the light finally cleared, all that remained of the asteroid and the Goa'uld base it held were chunks of broken rock and debris.

Smiling in satisfaction at a job well done, she turned her attention to the Pilot of the _Stylet_.

_Set a course for Chiroptera. It's time to head home._

* * *

Dressed in an austere Victorian mourning dress, Saya stood before Chiroptera's Chappa'ai eying a single large cannon that had been set up in front of the gate. It had a muzzle just a little smaller than the diameter of the gate and had been installed directly in front of it with its firing array positioned for a clear shot through the gateway.

_Ready, Queen. _The Worker collective manning the weapon informed her.

Saya nodded.

_Dial Saqqara. _

The Worker manning the Chappa'ai's control device obeyed and began inputting the code for Apophis' throne world.

Watching as the ring of coordinates built into the Chappa'ai spun and the chevrons locked in one by one, Saya felt her anticipation build.

_Soon. Soon we will have another piece of our revenge._

As the final chevron was locked and the wormhole stabilized, the red Queen allowed a look of cool satisfaction to cross her face as she personally pressed the button to activate the anti-gate particle weapon.

It took a moment to power up but then the cannon fired a massive beam of charged particles through the Gate and out the other side. Apophis, like the good little Goa'uld stereotype that he was, had installed a shield over Saqqara's gate of course.

_But that won't save you. _Saya mused as a blindingly bright beam of green energy shot from the cannon and through the open wormhole.

The cannon had been specifically built with enough power to easily overwhelm anything Apophis has set up, if not immediately then over time. And when it did, Saya knew that innumerable people would die. Even if the Goa'uld had the foresight to evacuate the area in the path of the beam it wouldn't matter. As it wouldn't just destroy everything in its direct path. No, the weapon was more insidious than that, for the charged particles the beam unleashed would also supercharge the Naquadah in the gate itself. And once that charge reached beyond a certain point, the gate itself would explode with the force equivalent to a sizable asteroid impact.

It likely meant the end of most life on Saqqara for thousands of years, but that didn't matter to Saya. All that did in that moment was the desire to punish the delusional little parasite for hurting her daughters.

She stood watching the destructive beam surging halfway across the galaxy through the Chappa'ai for a long moment before finally turning to Haji, who as always waited patiently one step behind her.

"Keep the cannon going until we can no longer maintain a connection to Saqqara." The red Queen informed her Chevalier.

Receiving a bow in return, Saya walked away with a victorious smirk on her face.

_Revenge is served._

* * *

Louis had been enjoying the battle of Edfu so far. Not surprising considering how overwhelmingly one-sided it had been, with his vastly superior fleet easily devastating the Goa'uld garrison fleet. So much so that, he hadn't lost a single ship so far. Oh, he'd had a couple dozen ships, mostly frigates, who had to be cycled back to the rear lines of his formation due to damage but none of his ships had been sunk.

In fact, things had been going so well that he had relaxed his guard as the last dozen or so enemy ships tried to put up a desperate last stand.

_Hyperspace transition detected. _The fleet collective screamed in his mind just as he was thinking everything was about done.

_The shoe always does drop when you let your guard down. _The Chevalier mused even as he ordered the bulk of his formation to reorient themselves towards the new arrivals, while he let a couple dozen of his ships finish off the garrison fleet.

_Enemy contact confirmed. 481 Ha'tak, 729 Shel'tak, 1848 Al'kesh._

_That's frankly a massive fleet for the Goa'uld. _Louis noted with amusement. _Heru'ur must have stripped the garrison fleets of all his nearby core worlds to muster a force this big._

Even as he contemplated the surprising size of the enemy fleet, Louis was simultaneously issuing orders to his Pilots. And acting with the efficiency only a Hivemind could manage, the Swarmfleet broke away from orbit and began pulling away from the newly arrived Goa'uld relief fleet. This was by no means a retreat however as the intense barrage of polarion, positron and photon fire that the Chiropterans unleashed indicated.

_Maintain our range advantage. _Louis ordered. _Snipe them from afar!_

Goa'uld ships died by the dozens under this rain of death even as Louis issued orders to his fighters pulling them close to his fleet in a tight defensive screen against the enemy's own strike craft that were flying straight at his forces.

_Be wary of the enemy's new model fighters. _The Chevalier reminded his often overeager fighter Pilots.

They sent back disgruntled agreement, chafing at the need of a reminder but Louis ignored them to focus on the broader battle. Like he had expected, Heru'ur was using his Al'kesh to screen his capital ships. Even going so far as to keep roughly half of them close to his fleet just for that purpose instead of sending them with his fighters.

_19, correction 20 Ha'tak kills and 41 Shel'tak? _Louis noted with pleasure. _Looks like screening with Al'kesh isn't helping him out as much as he'd like._

Though as is often the case in a battle, not everything was completely one-sided. Even as the range advantage gave the Chiropterans a chance to snipe the Goa'uld ships, it also allowed the latter to reorganize their formation from the mess it had been when they had exited hyperspace into the dense rows of ships of the firing line formation they favored.

Of course, this just played right into Louis' plan.

_Perfect. They've thinned out their point defense. _The Chevalier noted with a smirk. _Châtiment squadrons launch._

As one, these specially prepared squadrons of fighters launched from their motherships and immediately microjumped directly into the heart of the Goa'uld's relatively stretched out formation. Some were taken out as soon as they emerged from hyperspace by the Goa'uld point defense fire being fired as a matter of course in a flak screen around their ships by the smarter Ship Lords but most materialized unharmed and proceeded to detonate their payloads.

In moments, miniature suns engulfed whole segments of the Goa'uld fleet and illuminated the entire battlefield in their brilliant glow.

As the light faded, Louis smiled in satisfaction in seeing that a full third of the Goa'uld fleet had been destroyed by the antimatter bombs while many more were at least damaged.

_Continue to maintain distance and finish off the survivors. _Louis smiled, feeling pride in a plan well executed.

* * *

**And done!**

**I hope you enjoyed seeing the Goa'uld having a taste of the full might of the Swarm. It certainly was entertaining for me to write them getting their asses kicked. That's not to say everything will go the Swarm's way, that I can assure you. **

**To find out what I mean? Keep reading. XD**

**Review response/Informational Broadcast:**

**So someone (Dreiundzwanzig) seemed to think that Heru'ur and co.'s attack on Papillon seemed too derived and didn't make sense. I've explained things to them over PMs but I'm sharing it here as well as others might likewise be confused as to my reasoning:**

**The Goa'uld are scavengers. They don't develop their own tech much, largely imitating or reverse engineering recovered tech. Thus in a do or die Civil War, the idea of attacking an isolated Swarm world after having proven his ships could theoretically hold their own against the Swarm's ships would appeal to Heru'ur since he has a chance (as mentioned explicitly by Nimue) to pillage Chiropteran tech which is more advanced than the Goa'uld's own which if he gained a modest insight from might give him an advantage against his rivals within the Empire. This is hinted at when the Swarm Queens discuss how it was a good thing Amelia blew up their Hive Complex after evacuating it. So he goes and amass his fleets, forms alliances, keeps it secret, convinces the other System Lords that they too could profit from that attack. All of which are typical Goa'uld behavior. Up to this point he's behaving as a stereotypical Goa'uld. When they encounter races they think that remotely threaten them and can defeat, they crush them and steal whatever they can from the ruins. Often banding together, sometimes as a whole Empire to do so, if necessary. Something we've seen the Goa'uld do multiple times in this series so far and in canon is repeatedly mentioned, though we never actually see it in action outside of alternate timelines. We do see a lot of ruins they leave behind though.**

**Where Heru'ur miscalculated is that he thought the Swarm would behave like a Goa'uld System Lord. i.e. they would concede the lost of Papillion and maybe retaliate on a small scale but otherwise just lick their wounds. Goa'uld, especially System Lords, tend not to bother taking the time understanding their opponents and are perpetually surprised when they behave unexpectedly like the Swarm's impending full scale retaliation. We actually see this arrogant wilful ignorance of their foes in canon. When Ba'al, widely recognized as the most wily of the System Lords, is attacked by the Replicators instead of employing new strategies that might be effective he instead persists in fighting exactly like he always had under the expectation that they would too and ends up fighting a losing war.**

**Hope this clears things up for anyone confused.**

**Till next time, peace out!**


	13. Ramifications of victory

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 10: Ramifications of victory**

**Beta:**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Public Nudity, mentions of Incest**

Diva, nude as the day she was born, stood in her Hive complex's command center awaiting the start of the scheduled subspace communications facilitated conference with Nimue over the ramifications of their latest victory over the Goa'uld. Though that was not the blue Queen's focus.

_That _particular honor went to her twin who was dressed in a tailored pants suit that showed off her every feminine curve. She was such a sight, that Diva couldn't tear her eyes off her as she imagined all the fun she would have divesting her of the clothing that night. The attention was very much reciprocated though as Saya glanced back repeatedly with barely concealed lust in her eyes and in their bond.

"Good afternoon Saya, Diva," Nimue greeted as her image flickered onto the central viewscreen.

"Hello Nimue~!" Diva cooed as sultrily as she could manage and adjusting her posture to put her nude body on full display.

Unfortunately her little tease just caused her friend to raise an eyebrow in surprise, utterly unmoved by her beauty or for that matter Saya's either. Were they really not beautiful enough for Nimue? She knew she appreciated the feminine form, so that was not the issue. Wasn't her lover a woman too?

That's _the problem isn't it? _Diva thought with a mental sigh. _Nimue is really _too _devoted to that wife of hers._

Which was such a shame.

Her fellow Ascended Being looked absolutely gorgeous in the red and black dress that managed to show just enough cleavage to be enticing without crossing the line into what Saya would have considered indecent.

_Oh! How I would like to have her join Saya and I for a threesome!_ Diva thought with a lustful little giggle.

_Diva, just stop. _Saya sent her, shooting her a sharp look. _I know you can get horny when you're happy but this is too much._

_Aw~ Okay! _The blue Queen sent back, pouting in disappointment.

"Apologies for that," Saya told Nimue with an grimace. "You know how Diva's like when she gets giddy."

Nimue just nodded, and brushing aside the whole exchange entirely barreled ahead.

"Let me update you on the Empire's reaction to your victories."

"Go ahead," Saya said shooting Diva one last reproving look.

"It seems that Heru'ur escaped your attack on his throne world."

"We figured as much," Diva said with, still pouting though for a entirely different reason now. "None of the other System Lords have subsumed his territory after all."

"Quite," Nimue agreed. "However, you did manage to greatly deplete his forces. As a result, his standing among the System Lords and within the Empire has been severely undermined."

"He actually has forces left?" Diva asked cheekily.

"Yes," Nimue said, either not catching the joke or just refusing to acknowledge it. "While he's not lost his place among the most powerful System Lords and has been forced to concede a significant amount of territory to his rivals, he has managed to stave off a total collapse."

"A shame," Saya noted sarcastically.

"My sentiments exactly," Nimue agreed with a sardonic smile of her own. "Though, the good news is that after this debacle it's unlikely that he or anyone else for the matter will be able to win support for any more offensives against the Swarm."

"And will the System Lords change their tune if we continue to push _our_ offensive?"

"Not if you continue to refrain from taking Goa'uld worlds." Nimue told them after humming thoughtfully for a moment. "It was a smart move to not occupy Edfu after defeating Heru'ur's fleet. It gave the impression you weren't after territory and simply retribution."

"Which is the case," Diva pointed out.

"Yes, but the System Lords don't know that. And not until Edfu could they bring themselves to believe it even if they did."

"And if we _did _start taking worlds?"

"I take it you mean reclaiming Papillon from Heru'ur?"

Both Swarm Queens nodded.

"The System Lords would just see it as just desserts for Heru'ur's own foolishness." Nimue informed them. "But if you start taking other worlds, it would be seen as an invasion of the Empire. In fact, while I have not heard anything concrete on the matter, any attacks on System Lords uninvolved with the attack on Papillion will likely provoke a reaction as well."

"Are you saying that the destruction we caused on Saqqara and Edfu, two of their core worlds, don't count as an invasion?"

"No," Nimue said with a shake of her head. "They have decided to see it as retaliation for Apophis and Heru'ur's roles in the attack against you. Perhaps things would be different if there was a Supreme System Lord to rally them and point out how a race that can do that is a threat to the Empire as a whole. However, as things stand the divided System Lords are more concerned with what they can gain at the expense of Heru'ur and the others stupid enough to garner your ire than the Empire's welfare as a whole."

"The whole lot of them are selfish idiots as always," Saya said with a sneer.

"The other System Lords have always been like this," Nimue said with a shrug.

"Enough bitching about the System Lords. Anything else to discuss?"

"No at the moment," Nimue answered Diva's question. "I'll keep you informed if there any further developments."

"Thank you, Nimue."

"Yup, thanks."

"No problem," Nimue said with a smile. "Till next time girls. Goodbye."

"Bye Nimue," Diva said, waving enthusiastically as the Ascended Goa'uld signed off.

_Diva, what's with your good mood? _Saya asked, sounding concerned. _I understand we've scored a major victory, but you seem a little too cheerful even for that._

_It's because that's not all. _Diva told her as she stalked sensually to her twin's side and pressed her own body flush against her it. _I'm also happy over the fact that the Swarm has reached a consensus on our course of action._

_What do you mean?_

_Search your feelings, you know it to be true!_

_Diva!_

_Hehehe! I've wanted to use that line since I heard it. _Diva replied, radiating playful amusement.

_Ugh! Just tell me what you mean. _Saya shot back thoroughly unamused. _I can sense the consensus but not what it's about, which shouldn't be possible unless… Did you tell _everyone _not to tell me?_

_Well, I did mention I wanted to tell you myself and left the rest up to interpretation._

_Diva!_

_Yes, sister dear?_

_Tell me what it is now or I'm sleeping on the Bonaparte for the next week. _Saya threatened, pulling away from Diva to glare at her with arms crossed and radiating annoyance.

_What!? Okay, okay! I'll tell you! Anything but that. _Diva begged, gripping the lapels of Saya's jacket desperately.

_Well?_

_It's just that the Pacifists which I represent have come to agree with your Interventionists that we _must _fight the Goa'uld _now _and not wait to do so in some unknown future._

_Was that all? Really?_ Saya asked, incredulous.

_Yup. _Diva replied, taking advantage of her sister's shock to once more cuddle up against her. _But I think what you'll find more surprising is that Amelia and Pamela were the greatest advocates within the Pacifists to change their stance._

_That _is _surprising, _Saya agreed. _While I expected that they would switch camps after what they've been through, them becoming advocates is unexpected._

_You do realize if you paid more attention to the Hivemind you wouldn't have missed our daughters growing up, right?_

_I remember that being _your _job, sister. _Saya deflected even as she blushed in embarrassment. _But enough of laying blame. Consensus within the Swarm is truly worth celebrating._

With those words, Saya leaned in for a kiss.

_Very much so. _Diva replied as she eagerly accepted the kiss and began working on getting her twin out of her clothes.

_Oh! Looks like sister has learned the trick of using sex to distract,_ Diva mused to herself. _I'm such a great teacher._

Smirking at the thought, Diva pushed aside all extraneous thoughts. She could consider them later. For the moment, all that matter was making love to her sister.

* * *

While the Swarm Queens celebrated, Elizabeth was halfway across the galaxy leading yet another covert mission for the Swarm though this time the target was a base belonging to Ba'al. However, despite the different owner like her previous target, the target was once more an asteroid base.

_These Goa'uld _really _don't have any originality do they? Are all of their research labs built on asteroids now? _The Chevalier thought as she jumped out of the _Stylet_'s airlock alongside her Warriors.

The moment her feet touched the rocky surface of the asteroid, she ordered her Warriors to spread out and begin planting their charges even as behind her the cloaked frigate pulled slightly away to await orders.

It was at that moment that things went pear shaped. As out of nowhere a hyperspace window opened right on top of the _Stylet _and disgorged a Ha'tak. A ship that with unerringly accuracy fired its plasma beam directly at the cloaked frigate. Thankfully, the _Stylet_'s shield weathered the hit but the ship was nevertheless forced to drop its cloak and was forced into evasive maneuvers in an attempt to shake off the plasma beam.

"It's a trap," Elizabeth gasped out even as the _Stylet _still with the plasma beam locked onto its rapidly depleting shields barrel rolled overhead as it continued its increasingly desperate maneuvers as it was now forced to contend with a increasing barrage of plasma bolts from the Goa'uld mothership's Staff Cannon as well.

The Chevalier's attention was drawn away from the frigate's plight when she was forced to her knees when the gravity around her suddenly increased exponentially.

_What in the world? _The woman thought as she struggled to stand, only to find it impossible.

Her futile attempts however had allowed her to glimpse Jaffa in powered armor exit a hidden door into the asteroid base and cautiously approach her with their Zat'nik'tels drawn.

_Damn! I'll need my full strength for this. _Elizabeth decided as she tapped into her nature as a Chevalier and began the transformation into her true form.

With the sound of ripping fabric, her slender arms extended into a pair of long tendrils which she immediately used to lash out at the Jaffa and bisecting a half dozen of them. At the same time, her legs become digitrade and even as she retracted her arms, she used the enhanced strength of this form to overcome the artificially increased gravity and leapt at a cluster of the remaining Jaffa. Landing on top of a man and crushing him with her weight, she proceeded to eviscerate those surrounding her in a flurry of deadly motion as she lashed out with her whip arms and her fang filled crocodilian maw.

Some of the Jaffa tried to use her preoccupation with murdering their comrades to sneak behind her and attempt to attack her from behind. Snorting at their stupidity at thinking she would be unprepared for that, Elizabeth expanded her tiny wings situated at the small of her back to their full size and impaled a quartet of the fools who had the misfortune to have been obstructing their growth.

All the while she was massacring the Jaffa though, Zat shots were hitting her and making her increasingly numb. She fought on regardless. Her determination to escape this trap and return to her Queen's side fueling her through the growing sluggishness of her body.

_Saya needs me! I won't fall here! I just WON'T! Saya needs me!_

Suddenly though, the gravity jumped up a notch and Elizabeth felt her body slam down onto the rocky ground her mass pulled down by its suddenly increased weight. Even then she struggled, roaring in defiance despite being in the vacuum of the void she pushed her superhuman muscles in an attempt to get back to her feet. The Jaffa wouldn't let her though and rained Zat shots upon her.

_Saya needs me! Can't give up! Saya needs me!_

Her struggles eventually slowed though as the combination of repeated Zat shots and the enhanced gravity finally became too much. As her body finally gave out and she lost consciousness, she saw one of the Jaffa signalling to his men to cease fire.

_I'm sorry Saya. _Was the Chevalier's thought as everything faded to black.

* * *

**Done and dusted!**

**Hoped you guys liked it. As you might have guessed form this last scene, Elizabeth and Saya are quite close. More so than the average Queen and their Chevalier. How so? And why? I'll show it in some flashbacks soon. So stick around to find out.**

**Till then, ciao!**


	14. Interlude: Hunters From The Stars

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: Hunters From The Stars**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: AU from the **_**Fantastic Beasts**_ **series, mentions of Incest**

It was summer at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the time that the students of the most prestigious boarding school in Wizarding Britain went home to spend time with family and to rest and recover in preparation for the next school year. However, the castle was not empty. There were many who still occupied the ancient castle even in this downtime for the school. There were the staff who lived there all year round like the caretaker Mr. Filch and groundskeeper Hagrid, not to mention the many house elves that the castle's magic supported.

This day however, the castle had another member of staff who had returned early from his summer vacation. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, esteemed Headmaster of the school had cut his annual visit with his brother short after yet another argument and had chosen to seek refuge in his work. Thus despite it only being mid-summer, he was in his office going through paperwork in preparation for the coming school year.

He was interrupted from his work and simmering anger at his brother though when there was loud knock from his officer door.

"Professor Dumbledore, yer have a moment?" Hagrid's voice carried through the solid wooden door.

_I didn't even notice the wards flagging him as he came up the staircase. _Dumbledore thought with a frown. _Was I so distracted that I missed it? No matter..._

"I always have time for friends, Hagrid. Come in." The elderly educator said as he opened the door with a wave of his wand.

Smiling hesitantly in his shy way, the gentle half-giant walked into the room and with some gentle coaxing on Dumbledore's part, and admittedly a few calming trills from his phoenix companion Fawkes, was able to get the groundskeeper to sit down for a spot of tea. The old wizard let the calming herbal tea help his friend relax a tad, before inquiring about what brought the man up to his office.

"What brings you to see me today, Hagrid?" The Headmaster asked, in his kindly grandfatherly way.

This unfortunately had the opposite effect from what he had intended and Hagrid's nerves became frayed once more. Fidgeting uncomfortably in the chair Dumbledore had magically expanded for his larger than normal proportions.

"I'm sorry to trouble yer with this, Professor," the half-giant said with the hesitant air of someone who doesn't want to trouble his betters. "But there's some unrest in the Forbidden Forest that I think I need yer help with."

"No need to be hesitant, Hagrid." Dumbledore replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm always there to listen to any problems you have and help wherever I can."

Even as he said that though, the old man couldn't help but wish that people would stop treating him with such reverence, while it had its uses it had grown quite tiresome as of late.

"And I'm glad for it, Professor," Hagrid said with a relieved sigh. "I wouldn't have troubled yer at all, really, but this is just such a serious matter. I had ta."

"Unrest in the Forest certainly does sound serious. What is the issue though?"

"Something new 's in the Forest and it's on the hunt. Even the more ferocious denizens like the Acromantula are scared. They're all moving closer to the castle in a panic."

"That is worrying indeed." Dumbledore agreed, stroking his beard in a nervous tic. "If they get too close it might put the students in danger. Do you know what manner of creature could inspire such fear in the Forest's denizens?"

"Haven't a clue."

Dumbledore was startled by this admission. His former student's knowledge on magical creatures was vast, more so than even his own. That he was unable to identify the creature or at least offer some insight of what it might be was unsettling.

"I've not seen it." Hagrid spoke hastily, apparently having noted the Headmaster's reaction and misinterpreted it as a reprimand.

"Hagrid, I…" Dumbledore tried to say something to correct the misunderstanding but his friend gave him no such chance and talked over him.

"But I've got a description." The half-giant all but shouted, drowning the older man out entirely. "I was hoping that you might have better luck making sense of it."

"I find that unlikely." Dumbledore said offering his former student a self-deprecating smile. "If you failed, I doubt I will be able to do so. Though, I suppose that a second opinion would not hurt."

Hagrid heaved a relieved sigh at that and launched into the description.

"Well, according to the Centaurs and Acromantula, the creatures were bat-like humanoids wearing some kinda strange armor."

Dumbledore paled at the description and his mind involuntarily thought back to a time during the Second World War that he would never forget.

* * *

[Flashback starts]

A much younger Albus Dumbledore sat in a meeting room in the muggle War Office, waiting for a briefing supposedly about a plan to take out Grindelwald to begin.

Just a day ago he had finally gathered the resolve to face his old lover and approached the Ministry of Magic to offer his assistance. To his shock he had been immediately directed to work with the muggle's so-called Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.

_What a pretentious title. _Albus thought with a snort that earned him odd looks from the mix of muggles and wizards in the room. _Why in Merlin's name are we wizards being subordinated to these people when they don't even have magic? It's absurd._

_The Americans I can understand._ The British wizard thought to himself as he eyed an American wizard chatting politely with a muggle on the other side of the room.

The American wizards had been defeated by the muggles in a war a century or so ago and had their government replaced by a Department of Magic under the oversight of the muggle government. Not that he understood how they could have lost a war against _muggles _of all people. But at least that explained their subservience. What was the excuse of all the free wizards here?

He put aside his disdain though as an oddly nondescript man walked into the room, prompting all the soldiers to jump to their feet and salute him.

He refused to even stand for the man though, instead shaking his head derisively at the man's obvious use of magic to make himself more plain and unrecognizable.

_The idiot doesn't even realize that it only makes him more noticeable. _The wizard scoffed to himself, ignoring the dark looks he was getting for his impolite behavior.

"Take your seats, everyone." The nondescript man said after returning the soldiers' salutes.

"For the sake of those who don't know who I am," the man said shooting Albus a meaningful look. "I am the head of the Allied magical forces."

_As if that made you any better than a muggle stooge._

If the man noticed Albus' contempt, he ignored it and instead he turned away to make sure everyone had taken a seat before he got down to business.

"Right, we've got confirmation. The Nazis have moved Grindelwald into occupied France to help in their efforts to fortify the region."

Albus tried, he really did, to contain his amusement but he failed and openly laughed at this.

"And what, son, is so bloody funny?" The head of the Allied magical forces asked, his voice chilly.

"Just how absurd it is that you think a wizard as powerful as Grindelwald would be captured by a petty _muggle _dictator." Albus replied trying to chortle his sniggering.

A task helped along immensely by the whole room shooting him angry looks. He might be a powerful, confident wizard but that did not make being subjected to dozens of hostile gazes any less intimidating.

"Whatever you may think, Mr. Dumbledore," the Allied commander said in a cold voice that sent shivers down Albus' spine. "Grindelwald is indeed Hitler's prisoner and has been from 1940 at least."

Albus shot him a skeptical look.

"Sir, permission to educate the man?" A young American wizard in a soldier's uniform a few seats to Albus' right said.

The Allied commander nodded and the soldier wizard turned to Albus.

"Mr Dumbledore," the American began politely. "Grindelwald might be powerful but even he cannot stand up to modern weaponry. While he might have managed to kill half the battalion of men Hitler sent to capture him, in the end they took him down with sustained machine gun fire."

"What's a machine gun?"

The room roared with laughter at Albus' innocent question. He knew what a gun was, of course, those had been around for centuries but what in the world was a machine variant of that slow firing cumbersome muggle weapon?

"What's such a luddite even doing here?" Came a mocking voice from somewhere behind him, one of many. To his credit, the Allied commander silenced them all with a loud clearing of his throat.

"Do you at least know what a bullet is?" The soldier that was explaining things to Albus asked once the room had quieted once more.

"Certainly," Albus retorted, slightly offended that the man believed him to be _that _ignorant. "It's the projectiles muggle guns use."

"Correct," The other wizard said with a relieved nod, clearly glad he didn't need to explain that as well. "Well, a machine gun is a weapon that can fire hundreds of bullets a minute."

"But that's-" Albus trailed off in shock.

A weapon that powerful would be a serious threat indeed to a wizard. One or two a wizard could stop with the right spells if they knew it was coming. But hundreds a minute? He doubted there were any spells that existed that could stop that. If the person using it was aware of what they can do and prepared counters to their abilities, it was unlikely _any _wizard alive would survive an encounter.

"Mr Dumbledore," the commander asked, piercing through Albus' shock. "Do you need anymore time to get educated on the realities of _modern _war?"

Chastised, Albus could only shake his head.

Satisfied, the man continued the briefing.

"Now that Grindelwald has been relocated out of Germany, we finally have a chance deal with him and stop the flow of magical war materiel he's been forced to supply the Nazis. It is imperative that we do so before Operation Overlord. If Grindelwald is allowed to remain in play during the operation, he and his followers will likely make an already difficult task impossible."

"This rush," At this the man turned to stare at Albus. "Is the _only _reason we are recruiting an ignorant, untrained _civilian _like Mr. Dumbledore here to come along."

Albus withered a little under the man's contempt and much to his own surprise the man's sizable magical presence as it began to press down on him.

"Any questions so far?"

When the commander had no reply, he nodded and kept talking.

"Then let's get into the details of the mission."

* * *

A day later, Albus found himself and a team of six Allied commandos from various militaries, two of whom were wizards, being escorted through the countryside of occupied French by two members of a Resistance cell as they snuck up through the woods to a position outside the chateau where Gellert was being held.

The soldiers had been dismissive of Albus the whole mission and he could not help but be rankled by this, though in the interest of the mission they had all kept it limited to disdainful looks. Albus nonetheless found the hours spent skulking through woods and open farmland more unpleasant as a result.

He'd asked once about why their portkey dropped them so far away from their target only to be informed rather sternly that if he wanted to be caught in the prison's portkey redirection wards and dropped right in the middle of some kind of a killzone then he was more than welcome to give it a go.

Albus had shut up after that.

He was coming to realize the muggles, admittedly with the help of some wizards, were capable of a lot more than he'd ever imagined.

_They could be less rude about pointing it out though, _the British wizard whined in the safety of his own mind as they reached the top of a small earthen rise that allowed the team a concealed vantage point to observe the entrances into the chateau which was unsurprisingly heavily guarded by Germans.

"There's a lot more krauts down there than expected," the team leader commented with a frown.

"The Germans must have been reinforced recently," one of the Resistance men informed them in perfect English. "There weren't that many men here when we scouted the place out last time."

"We could create a diversion for your team." The other Resistance member offered, again in perfect English.

_Did they both go to school in London or something?_ Albus thought idly at the oddity.

"You sure you two can handle it?"

"Rest assured commander, we're up to the task."

"Then do it," the team leader said with a hesitant frown.

Nodding the two Resistance men chucked down their backpacks and began pulling out some strange armor and equipment, including what looked like cannons that they mounted onto swivels attached to pauldrons.

As they slipped the armor on, their bodies began to expand and shift grotesquely as they transformed into monstrous bat-like humanoids, their armor resizing and adjusting itself to fit their new larger and distorted proportions.

Albus was reminded of werewolves though the keen look of intelligence that shone in the creature's ruby red eyes told him that the transformation and appearances aside this was a wholly different beast

Most of the Allied troops were shocked, but the Free French commando just chuckled.

"Tu leur donnes l'enfer! (You bats give them hell!)"

One of the monsters gave an agreeing roar to the Frenchman's yell as they both charged out of the woods and straight at the Germans.

As one, the team turned to watch what mayhem the monsters would cause. Albus was not disappointed, as he looked on in stupefied awe, the creatures tore through the Germans like a hot knife through butter. They shot them into smoking chunks with their cannons, tore men apart with their muscular arms and ripped throats out with their vicious fang filled jaws. It was a scene of utter carnage that filled Dumbledore with dread.

Especially as the creatures had some kind of energy shield, he'd have called it magical only he sensed no magic from it, that allowed them to remain unharmed even as the Germans unloaded enough weapons on them to surely have leveled a town. The beleaguered soldiers tried everything from those machine guns he'd learned about at the briefing to weapons that his teammates called mortars and tanks whose destructive power shocked him but which left the creatures unfazed.

_If I had time to prepare I might be able to duplicate this feat. _Albus thought to himself, even as he doubted his own assertion. Could _anything _truly recreate the sheer one-sided slaughter occurring in front of his eyes?

After some time of watching the ongoing massacre, the leader of the team finally spoke up.

"Looks like the enemy is suitably distracted." He said after a fortifying breath, clearly shaken by the carnage. "Time to move out."

All around him, the rest of the team nodded. Slowly they crept down from their hiding place and hurrying as silently as they could into the castle through the by now blown open gate. Thanks to the chaos of the creatures' diversion, the team managed to sneak into the building while meeting only light resistance along the way that the soldiers took out so efficiently that Albus and the wizards barely needed to use any magic at all.

Their lucky streak, as one American member of the team called it, ended however when they were about to turn a corner and found themselves being suppressed with fire from an impromptu machine gun nest.

"That's a bloody machine gun!" Their lead man, an Australian, shouted in shock as he dove back around the corner barely avoiding the stream of lead shot his way.

"We noticed," the team leader commented dryly. "Toss a grenade and be done with it."

"Yeah, yeah, give me a minute," the Aussie said as he reached for a spherical device that Albus presumed was the aforementioned grenade.

_Like I'm going to let you take all the glory. _Albus thought as he used his long stride to step over the man before he could even pull the grenade out and around the corner. _Besides, I have something to prove._

"Dumbledore! What-" Albus heard his teammates yell, but that was soon drowned out by the roar of the machine gun. The wizard had been prepared though and the stream of bullets flattened themselves harmlessly against the magical shield he'd conjured. It was draining faster than he'd expected, but it was holding.

_Now to get a spell off- _Albus thought as he raised his wand.

"Argh!" The British wizard cried in agony as a bullet shot pass his tattered shield and hit him in the leg.

Not being a complete idiot, he gave up on his spellcasting and wisely dove back behind the corner where his team was huddled.

"You bloody idiot!" The team leader shouted, even as he gestured to another wizard on the team who was hastily casting healing spells on Albus' wound. "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

Albus didn't know what to say. He couldn't bloody well admit his pride had gotten the better of him and made him do something stupid in a bid to prove that wizards could still stand up to the muggles, could he?

His thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a nearby explosion echoed all around them.

"Got the suckers," the Australian point man said with a grin as he poked his head around the corner. "Oh! You gotta be kidding me!"

"What?"

"They're bringing up _another_ machine gun!" The soldier shouted back as he opened fire, likely trying to prevent the set up of the new gun.

Unfortunately, he failed and was soon forced back into cover by a hail of lead. He reached for another grenade when there was suddenly the sound of collapsing masonry, a lot of masonry if the sound was anything to go by. This was followed by a triumphant bestial roar that had the whole team exchanging looks.

Cautiously they poked their heads out of their cover to see one of the monsters that the Resistance men had turned into literally tearing apart Germans with its bare hands.

This closer look at the creatures' brutality left Albus horrified all over again. Something amplified not just by the display but by the lack of a reaction from his comrades. A few of them looked a little upset, but none of them were reacting anywhere as strongly as he was.

_Was the horror of this war so great that they actually aren't fazed by the sight?_

Albus was still standing processing this thought when the creature got done with the last of the Germans in the immediate vicinity and turned towards his team. For a moment, the wizard feared it would turn its fury on them, but instead the creature merely gestured for the team to follow.

"Right," the team leader said as he stepped out from cover and into the monster's shadow. "Let's follow our friend shall we?"

Nervously, the rest of the team followed. Even Albus, though he did so with great reluctance.

The rest of their journey through the chateau was practically a walk in the park. With the nigh invincible juggernaut acting as their shield and battering ram, there was nothing the German defenders could do to stop their relentless advance towards Gellert's lab in the cellar. And thank Merlin, the creature had refrained from ripping anymore poor Germans apart!

As they battered open the cellar door, they found that the Germans had set up a defensive barricade just beyond the stairs. It was from behind this makeshift fortification that the Nazis immediately opened fire once the door flew open. The creature was unperturbed by the barrage however and casually began killing them with its shoulder mounted guns and its hands.

This cleared the way for the team to file in as well, guns blazing as they came.

With the monster on their side, the fighting soon devolved into a one-sided but nevertheless chaotic firefight that saw bullets and spells flying everywhere. Through this chaos Albus spotted Gellert rush out from somewhere and grab a wand off the body of a German officer.

"Gellert!" Albus shouted, full of determination, as he stepped forward to face the man he loved. "It's time to end this."

[Flashback end]

* * *

Back in the present and his office in Hogwarts, Albus allowed himself a wry smile.

_And the rest was history._

Though no history book recorded the instrumental role that the creatures played that day. Then again with the Oaths of Secrecy and other spells that Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force demanded of them in the aftermath, it was surprising anything was recorded of that mission at all

In fact, he's thankful he remembers as much as he does though he laments the fact he can't even recall the names of his comrades on that fateful mission.

_The description fits with what I remember but are these creatures in the Forest truly those terrifyingly powerful creatures I saw in France? If so, what is their purpose in coming here?_

Frowning at the possibilities, Albus returned his attention to his half-giant friend who had been sitting respectfully as he recollected his past and pondered the situation.

"We should go investigate." The elderly Headmaster said as he stood.

"Now?" Hagrid, asked surprised.

"Of course," Dumbledore said with a playful smile. "This is, after all, a wonderful chance to escape from my paperwork a little longer."

Hagrid nodded disbelievingly but nevertheless stood up as well.

_I can't wait. _Albus thought to himself as he followed Hagrid out of his office. _I need to know if these _are _the creatures from France._

* * *

"We're entering the Deep Forest now, Professor. Be careful, the residents here are a mite unfriendly ta strangers." Hagrid informed Albus after they were ten minutes into their exploration of the Forbidden Forest.

"I understand Hagrid." The Headmaster told his friend seriously. "I will follow your lead."

The groundskeeper blushed at the vote of confidence and looked ready to reply, but suddenly froze and raised the crossbow he'd picked up from his hut before they'd entered the Forest. Raising his wand, Albus looked in the direction where the half-giant was aiming and saw what had put his guard up. Just ahead there was a strange distortion in the light.

Whatever it was seemed to notice it had caught their attention for with an effect akin to a heat shimmer three large creatures seemed to appear from thin air just ahead of them. On either side of the path were two of the creatures Albus remembered from France. They flanked a insectoid creature whose upper body was upright like a human's but had a lower body that resembled an ant whose abdomen ended in a scorpion's tail. It had large bat like wings growing out of the small of the back of its upper body, two sturdy insectoid legs, and two sets of arms. The upper pair were similar to a human's but ended in vicious looking clawed hands while the lower pair most resembled those a mantis used to catch its prey.

Most terrifying, the shoulder cannons of the two more familiar creatures clearly had them in their sights.

Swallowing his fear, Albus scrambled to come up with something diplomatic to say to defuse the situation.

Before he could, the chimeric creature spoke first.

"Greetings, I am Rek'tor, Chevalier of the Hive Queen Amelia," it said with a courtly bow. "Mr. Dumbledore and Mr. Hagrid you are follow me. My Queens would like to meet you."

A quick glance out of the corner of his eyes told him that Hagrid was tensing himself up for a fight but before the half giant could say or do anything rash, Albus hastily spoke up.

"We would be honored." The elderly Headmaster said with a bow of his own.

* * *

In the middle of the Forbidden Forest, in the center of a recently created clearing, a large pavilion had been erected. In this pavilion, the Hive Queens Pamela and Amelia lounged on a pile of cushions as they waited eagerly for Rek'tor to bring _the _Albus Dumbledore to meet them.

"Oh! I'm _so _looking forward to meeting the man that Auntie Nimue tells all those grand stories about." Pamela gushed.

"You do remember that those same stories paint him as a manipulative old man that let Auntie Nimue be abused, right?" Amelia shot back unimpressed.

"That's not true," Pamela insisted. "Even Auntie Nimue doesn't think that. She says he's a good man and I agree with her."

"He might be a good man but even Auntie Nimue admits that she couldn't trust him." Amelia countered. "We shouldn't either."

"I agree with Queen Amelia, my Queen." Surefoot, Pamela's new centaur Chevalier, Surefoot, agreed from where she was lounging on a bed of dried grass in a corner. "My old tribe didn't trust him either."

Turning from the conversation for the moment, Pamela took a moment to admire her new addition to the Hive. Surefoot was an albino with crimson eyes and long white hair. She was wearing a collared, purple long-sleeved shirt that Pamela had personally knitted for her to cover her human bits while keeping her beautiful pale white equine body gloriously exposed.

_Oh! How fun it is to play with those. _Pamela thought lustfully for a moment, before a mental smack to the head from Amelia pulled her back to the discussion at hand, though not before she got a good look the blush she had elicited from Surefoot due to her ogling.

"Anyways, it's not like your old tribe's judgement is the best." Pamela said, pretending she hadn't been distracted by her lust at all. "They _did _ostracize a treasure like you simply because of your condition."

Due to her albinism, Surefoot's birth tribe had treated her as an outcast. A fact that had led the young centaur to literally jump at the chance to have a family when she'd been offered conversion.

"I guess," Surefoot shrugged in agreement. "But I still think we shouldn't trust Dumbledore."

_We can discuss this later. _Amelia sent telepathically. _The wizards have arrived._

True to her word, Rek'tor walked into the pavilion alongside a pair of Warriors while escorting the gentle half-giant Hagrid and more importantly the famed _Albus Dumbledore_.

Unable to contain her excitement at meeting someone she'd heard so much about, Pamela blurred to the elderly wizard's side. This caused the old man to flinch but he otherwise kept his cool though the half-giant panicked and cried out in surprise, prompting the Warrior standing next to him to gag and restrain him.

_A little excessive no, sister? _Pamela sent her twin as she ignored the ruckus the half giant was making as he struggled futilely against the Warrior, and looked Dumbledore up and down curiously.

_I will not take risks with your safety._

_Worrywart._ Pamela sent back teasingly.

"Wow, you're exactly like how Auntie Nimue described you!" Pamela declared, causing the wizard to blink in confusion.

"Nimue?" The wizard asked, cautiously even as he gestured to his colleague to stop struggling. "I don't believe I've ever met someone with that name."

"Oh, you have," Pamela said shooting him a mischievous smile. "The Lady of the Lake?"

The man just looked even more confused and a touch unnerved.

"You mean the Nimue of Arthurian legend? That's-"

Pamela smirked, pleased that she'd manage to successfully throw the supposedly wise Albus Dumbledore for a loop. She was just about to continue messing with him by gushing out all the questions she'd ever wanted to ask him ever since Auntie Nimue told her about him but a burst of annoyance from Amelia hit her through the Hivemind.

Pouting in disappointment, she reined herself in and backed away.

* * *

Allowing herself a mental sigh at her twin's antics, Amelia sent her a burst of annoyance and was pleased to see Pamela rein herself in. Though the pout she sported threatened to unravel Amelia's nerve, the more levelheaded of the twins soldiered on.

"Greetings Mr. Dumbledore, Mr. Hagrid," Amelia said in as regal a tone as she could manage. "I am Amelia and the girl who was being so forward earlier is my twin, Pamela. We are Queens of the Chiropteran Swarm."

She gestured to Surefoot who remained in her little corner.

"And that is my sister's Chevalier, Surefoot."

As she did so, she caught a glance at the former centaur and felt wariness at the situation from the other girl. She was so tense that she looked ready to jump between him and Pamela at any moment.

_Which for the one of us most familiar with the man speaks volumes._

To her irritation however, her guileless sister was oblivious, instead content to move over to lean into her Chevalier's side and contentedly pet her flank.

"Tell me, gentlemen. What are you doing so deep in the Forest?" Amelia asked the wizards. "To my understanding, your kind usually avoid coming so deep."

"The creatures of the Forest appeared to be in a panic lately." The elderly wizard said in a cautious tone. "We came to investigate the cause."

"And why would the Headmaster of Hogwarts himself choose to come down to do something like this himself?"

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed at her use of his title, but quickly took a glance at Surefoot and seemed to draw the completely wrong conclusion. He was satisfied though, and his wariness dropped back down a notch.

"Curiosity." The old man said. "After hearing a description about the beings responsible, I recognized them from an encounter with them during World War Two and needed to see for myself if they were truly the same creatures."

Amelia noted with some disdain how the half giant seemed confused and was mouthing "World War Two" to himself.

_These wizards really are an ignorant bunch aren't they? _Pamela sent, sounding exasperated. _I mean, it's not like they have the excuse of not being in contact with the rest of the world much like some of the other magical races here on Earth. After all, don't they buy the bulk of their food and goods from muggles?_

_They are _willfully _ignorant. _Amelia sent back along with a memory from a conversation with Auntie Nimue where she told them how wizards didn't even believe that humans had been to the moon.

_Which is why we don't have wizard Chevaliers. _Pamela replied. _Who would want such idiots?_

_That and because the Others will disapprove. _Amelia reminded. _They hid them from the Goa'uld and would not like it if we messed with them either, just be glad they haven't made an issue with the fact we've trespassed into the little hidden world they compelled the wizards to create._

_Yeah, yeah. _

Ignoring her sister's flippant response, Amelia dove into the Swarmmind and contacted Mama Diva.

_Amelia?_ Her mother replied distractedly. _Is this important? I'm busy._

Amelia could sympathize. The whole Swarmmind was resounding with echoes of Mama Saya's rage at Elizabeth's capture and Mama Diva must be so busy trying to temper it.

_Sorry to trouble you Mama, but I'm meeting with Albus Dumbledore right now and he mentioned meeting our kind before, I was wond-_

Before the Hive Queen could finish her question, her mother wordlessly sent over the memory in question and withdrew from the connection radiating a sense of apology. Considering the upsurge in Mama Saya's rage that leaked into the Swarmmind, Amelia could only imagine the kind of tantrum Mama Diva had on her hands and begrudged her hasty exit not at all.

Instead, she quickly reviewed the memory she'd been sent.

All her mental conversations had only lasted about a minute. Thus it was seemingly without missing a beat that she faced Dumbledore and offered him a nod.

"You did indeed meet my mothers' Warriors during the war."

"Aw~! Why did Mama not tell us?" Pamela whined.

Amelia shot her sister a stern look, even as she noted how Dumbledore gained a contemplative look.

_Look what you've done! Now he'll be able to figure out we have telepathy._

_Sorry,_ Pamela sent back as she shrunk back a little at the rebuke,

The sight had Amelia wanting to pull her twin into a hug and apologize but she refrained. For now. They had wizards to deal with first.

Turning back to the Headmaster, she waved dismissively in his direction.

"Now that your curiosity is sated, you can return to your castle."

"I'm afraid not," The old man said standing his ground even as the Warrior next to him moved to remove him, though a command from Amelia had the lower caste Chiropteran freezing mid-motion. "I need to know what you are doing here and how long you intend to stay first."

Amelia couldn't help it, she glared at the wizard for his insolence and Rek'tor and the Warriors tensed in agitation. Didn't he realize who held the power here? Did he really think he could make demands of them?

"We'll be gone by the end of the week." Pamela said cutting into the tense situation with her playful voice.

"It's already Thursday," Dumbledore noted.

"Exactly!"

Exasperated, Amelia was about to rebuke her sister telepathically for interrupting her when Pamela broadcasted to her first.

_Trust me._

Grudgingly Amelia sent back her wordless agreement.

"You see, Headmaster," Pamela said with the an impish smile. "We're here to get a fresh supply of genetic material from the Forest's many exotic magical creatures to strengthen our Hive and aid its recovery after it was recently laid low by the false falcon god."

Dumbledore just sent her a lost look that had Amelia giggling in amusement.

Ignoring his confusion with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Pamela continued.

"We're also here on Earth to rebuild our forces before returning to the stars and rejoining our mothers and sisters in delivering bloody and just vengeance on the false gods."

"Except Auntie Nimue!" Amelia chimed in, an amused grin on her face at her sister's game.

Pamela nodded in sage agreement.

The wizards were confused beyond words, and did not resist as Rek'tor and the Warriors led them away.

Once the two wizards were gone, Amelia turned to Pamela.

"That was wonderful." She told her twin sincerely. "Good job on not revealing anything while still telling the whole truth."

"Thanks, Amy," Pamela said preening. "Still think I'm guileless?"

"I'm sorry for calling you that," Amelia said as she blurred over to reward her twin with a kiss.

"A kiss? That's nowhere near enough," Pamela said breathlessly as they pulled apart. "But it's a start."

"What do you have in mind?" Amelia asked, barely noticing as a red faced Surefoot made a hasty exit.

"What do you think, sister?" Pameela asked as she reached behind Amelia's back to unzip her dress.

* * *

**And here's another long Interlude done. This time it's one that gives a glimpse at the Wizarding World to tie things back into the Harry Potterverse a little. Hope you guys liked it.**

**Now, I think most of what happened in the Interlude was pretty self-explanatory however there is one point I think I need to address not because it is relevant directly to the story but because it's something I've had nitpicked on in the past. So to preempt that, let me just say that in my interpretations of things the wizards of the Harry Potterverse are all living at the mercy of the muggles. Essentially they are a conquered or at least defeated people allowed autonomy. Why do I say this? Because they, despite their magic, are in hiding instead of ruling the world as an upper class like Grindelwald advocated. Considering the human nature to want to subjugate those they perceive as weaker than them, this isn't because they haven't tried. Instead, logic dictates that they did and failed (At least in the long term. I'm not discounting periods in time where they succeeded.). Why they failed? Simple, muggles outnumber them by the millions and not all wizards would side with the wizarding world over their muggle families. This means that in any fight, wizards wouldn't have a monopoly on magic (their only real possible advantage) while still facing a foe that outnumbers them by many, many orders of magnitude. In most cases, there is no chance that they'll win especially not as muggles developed ever more powerful weapons. Thus when I expand on the Harry Potterverse for my fics, I build it with this premise in mind. **

**Such as in this project where the wizards' separation from the muggles stems from the Ascended messing with them with the initial idea of protecting their near-Ascended descendants form being enslaved by the Goa'uld. This has led them to naturally seek isolation from their muggle peers, which as the superiority of modern weapons shows in this Interlude is what saves them from a rather bloody losing war.**

**I know this idea that the wizards are hiding out of fear of the muggles is contrary to Rowling's vision, but frankly her worldbuilding of the Wizarding World especially her additions, **_**all of them**_**, after she finished the original Harry Potter series are generally illogical. So I ignore them. For what is the most egregious, in my opinion, example, in her vision of the magical world is that the only magical style that humans use is Wizardry. That's so incredibly Eurocentric. Heck, it's even discriminatory to the many, many European styles of magic outside of Wizardry that appears in legend. Where's Druidism? Where's Taoist magic? Where's Mesoamerican magic? I think I've made my point.**

**If you still want to debate me on this issue, I must ask you to refrain. I've had this debate countless times over and would really not like to do so again. I've not seen **_**any **_**evidence that has changed my mind on the issue despite dozens of lengthy debates over the years so I doubt I ever will.**

**Alright, enough of **_**that **_**rant. That's all for this Interlude, till next time! Ciao!**


	15. I will look for you, I will find you

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 11: I will look for you, I will find you**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Torture, Public Nudity**

Aboard the battleship _Poignard_, the Chiropteran Chevalier Louis looked out into the void and the growing debris field being created as the Swarmfleet finished off the sizable fleet that the Goa'uld System Lord Ba'al had amassed to intercept his fleet as it ravaged the Goa'uld's territory.

Ba'al had mustered 307 Ha'tak, 954 Shel'tak and 3,154 Al'kesh, stripping many of his garrison fleets and conceding many worlds to his rival System Lords all just to attempt to stall his advance, but it had been all for naught. Now after only a single engagement that fleet, possibly the largest a single System Lord had fielded in centuries or even millennia, had been crushed. The majority of that grand fleet had been reduced to nothing more than wrecks that filled a debris field which the _Poignard_ was now cruising through, with only a handful of holdouts still making desperate last stands.

_Chevalier. Hail from enemy._ The _Poignard_'s Pilot sent as he admired the tumbling Goa'uld wrecks drifting pass the battleship.

_It's probably the Fleet Lord trying to surrender. _Louis mused with amusement. _Let's hear what he has to say. It'll be amusing at least. Put it on screen._

With a burst of agreement, a viewscreen came into being directly in front of Louis and displayed the frazzled image of the Goa'uld Fleet Lord.

She was a striking Mediterranean women dressed in bronze armor, a feathered white crown, and with an axe strapped to her thigh.

"I am Anat, Fleet Lord of this fleet. I surrender. Please cease fire!"

_Do we have a lock on her flagship?_ Louis asked even as he listened to the Goa'uld.

_Affirmative. _The fleet collective sent back with an edge of bloodthirstiness.

_Destroy it._

_Affirmative._

"No," Louis told the Fleet Lord with a paint peeling glare. "Now die!"

"Wait! Plea-" The Goa'uld said even as her surroundings were consumed by flames and the comm link was cut by the destruction of her ship.

_A truly ignominious death to die while begging for your own life. A truly fitting way to die for one of those who took my sister. _Louis noted to himself as his fists clenched in anger at the reminder of Elizabeth's capture.

_That said, this is excessive. _The Chevalier thought as he took a deep calming breath and once more looked out upon the carnage he'd wrought. _This campaign is far too aggressive. Deploying so much of our forces like this will leave us vulnerable to an enemy counterattack._

It was with this worrying idea firmly embedded in his mind that he looked out at the field of Goa'uld wrecks with trepidation for the future.

* * *

Elizabeth looked out through the familiar 'eyes' of a battleship's cameras as it finished off a disabled Goa'uld Shel'tak amidst her brother Louis' latest crushing victory over Ba'al's forces. She was enjoying the view quite a bit. Seeing the enemy who had captured her being humbled by the might of the Swarm brought her a grim satisfaction.

Unfortunately, her dive into the Swarmmind was interrupted when her body screamed with pain. Forced fully back into awareness of her surroundings, she was bombarded by agony as a powerful electrical surge coursed through her body leaving her writhing in her restraints.

All while a holographic projection of that damnable snake Ba'al watched on with a smirk. The roguish man looking at her torture with amusement while lounging in his voluminous black robes on a throne of black marble.

"Enough," he ordered at last. "Allow her to speak."

At his command, some slave or other finally cut off the electrical current and Elizabeth was allowed to sag in her restraints with relief.

"You know I am always impressed to think that such a beautiful body could hide such a powerful creature." Ba'al said as he leered at Elizabeth's currently human form. Her naked human form. As a prisoner and lab experiment, it seemed that Ba'al and his lackeys felt she had no need for clothes. Or more likely, this humiliation was just another part of the torture. "It made all the trouble it took to force you back into this state worth it."

That much was true. Elizabeth's natural state was her Chiropteran form and forcing her out of it took a great deal of effort on her captors' part. They had been forced to torture her until her body could no longer support the heightened abilities of her true form and reverted to the less draining human form. A process that took a considerable amount of time and resources, which was a source of pride for the Chevalier.

"Though I'd wished none of this was necessary." Ba'al said with an exaggerated sigh. "If only your kind weren't immune to becoming hosts."

Elizabeth smirked despite still struggling to steady her breathing after her latest electric torture. Proud at her superior Chiropteran physiology trumping the body snatching ability of the Goa'uld. Ba'al had tried of course and had ended up with nothing more than a dead symbiote, killed by her body's superior immune system.

"H-How are your able to waste time here?" Elizabeth asked as she begun to catch her breath. "Shouldn't you be busy trying to cope with all those ships you lost to the Swarm?"

The Chevalier fully expected another round of electric agony at her taunt, but instead all she got was the System Lord shrugging almost dismissively.

"I'm not above acknowledging that I've underestimated the Swarm's response to your capture." He admitted. "Nor that keeping you has become more hassle than it's worth despite the _allure _you offer."

Elizabeth really could have done without his leer but she was too tired to do anything. Well, she could spit at him but since he wasn't really there that would just have been a waste of hydration. Instead, she chose to keep taunting the snake.

"So you're releasing me then? If you do I'll be sure to try my hardest to convince my Queens to be merciful." She told him as sarcastically as she could manage.

"As if you would," Ba'al scoffed. "No, I'm not releasing you. I've other plans."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, but Ba'al was done talking to her and his hologram vanished. "Don't leave! Tell me-"

Her question was cut off as another powerful surge of electricity was pumped through her body and eliciting a tortured scream from her.

* * *

Ba'al sat comfortably on his throne of black marble in the Pel'tak of his flagship as he personally commanded a small fleet consisting of a single Ha'tak, 9 Shel'taks and 17 Al'kesh as they formed up in escort positions around another Ha'tak, one that he had modified into a science vessel. With the Chiropteran menace pushing ever further into his territory the science ship's current location was no longer safe and it was imperative for him to move it to a safer location.

_At least that's what everyone thinks. _Ba'al thought to himself smugly as he leaned back and watched as his small flotilla moved out of the asteroid field where the science ship had previously remained hidden.

The small group of ships had barely cleared the field when an alarm sounded and a controlled panic overcame the bridge around him. Unlike the radical Nimue, Ba'al did not believe in the need for specially trained officers to man specialized stations, that said there was some merit to the latter. So instead of the standard single command station on the Pel'taks of most Goa'uld Ha'taks he had two. Both were designed to be able to allow an operator to control all the ship's systems but in ideal situations one was devoted to weapons while the other managed all other matters. As such, he didn't really see why anxiety swept across the bridge like it did. It was not like the members of his personal guard that lined the room could do anything. So why were _they _panicking?

"My Lord, a fleet belonging to Cronus has just jumped in." The Jaffa manning the ship's controls reported. "Sensors are reading 6 Ha'taks, 14 Shel'taks and 32 Al'kesh."

_Right on time. _Ba'al mused to himself as he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Cronus' spy among his personal guard.

"Order all capital ships to form up in a defensive sphere around the science ship." Ba'al barked. "And send the Al'kesh and Death Gliders to try and harass the enemy. And have all ships charge up their hyperdrives."

The Jaffa at the command consoles hastily relayed his commands and he noted from the personal display mounted into his throne that his warriors obeyed with admirable discipline.

_Good. All that drilling is paying off._

The Goa'uld's thoughts were interrupted when his First Prime stepped in front of him and offered him a salute. Waving at the man to continue, he listened intently to his report.

"My lord, the science ship is reporting that its experimental main hyperdrive has failed. They will need some time before the backup hyperdrive can be brought online."

_Ah! I love it when a plan comes together._

"Unfortunate," Ba'al said with a casual nod. "Then we will need to hold out long enough for it to escape."

"My lord!" The Jaffa at the console shouted in alarm. "The enemy has breached the defensive screen of the Al'kesh and Gliders! Two of the Shel'tak are disabled, and one is reporting a reactor breach."

A brilliant explosion on the corner of the main viewscreen which still showed the voidscape outside signaled just what had happened to _that _particular destroyer.

Ba'al glanced at his First Prime.

"Five minutes, my Lord!" The Jaffa shouted back, even as their ship was rocked by a direct hit.

"We do not have five minutes," Ba'al declared. "Order all able capital ships to disengage and jump to hyperspace immediately."

"Yes, my lord!" The Jaffa at the command station replied with clear relief.

His Ha'tak disengaged from the fight easily enough thanks to the superior sublight drives he had developed and easily outpaced the pursuing enemy.

"My lord, the science ship is not following." His First Prime informed him. "It's drives have been disabled and it's being swarmed by the enemy."

"Fire a brace of those antimatter torpedoes we reverse engineered at them," Ba'al said. "Let's see if we can duplicate Nimue's success with them without those robots of hers."

"Yes, my lord."

Ba'al watched as his fleeing ships fired a salvo of fast moving missiles at the enemy clustered around his beleaguered science ship. Each was tipped with an antimatter warhead powerful enough to severely drain a capital ship's shield upon detonation, a fact that Nimue had used to great effect in her recent victories.

Unfortunately for Ba'al though, he lacked the same delivery vehicle that made Nimue's use of these weapons so effective. And his salvo was easily shot out of the sky by the point defense of Cronus' ships, leaving the System Lord to sigh in resignation.

_I suppose without those Mobile Suits to launch them at close range they are simply too easy to intercept._ Ba'al observed. _I could make them more maneuverable perhaps as much as those robots but that would make the cost of building them prohibitive. Especially for a single use weapon. I guess it's back to the drawing board._

"My lord, we're ready to jump to hyperspace."

"Proceed." Ba'al barely needing to feign his disappointment at the whole thing. He really was dismayed that the torpedoes didn't work.

_Though at least the main plan worked out well._ The Goa'uld thought to himself smugly as the blue of hyperspace suffused his surroundings. _I truly do impress even myself sometimes._

* * *

In the depths of deep space, on a lonely wandering asteroid hurtling aimlessly through the vast, empty void the Chiropteran Hive Queens Aimée and Anastasie had built their primary Hive complex and it was on this impressive structure that the two women now stood, looking out of a long transparent window at a massive spherical structure being constructed in deep space that was surrounded by a large shipyard filled with various _Bonaparte_s and _Résurrections_.

"Progress is going well." Aimée commented as she withdrew from the shipyard's Worker collective.

"Agreed," Anastasie said, even as she nervously bit her lower lip. "I can't help but worry though that the production we are overseeing will not keep up with the losses the offensive is incurring."

"It'll be fine." Aimée reassured her twin. "Between all the shipyards under our command and those of the rest of the Swarm, we'll manage."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

"Cronus has her now."

This statement form Nimue sent Saya reeling in shock and anger as she stared at her friend's worried face being projected on the central viewscreen in their Hive complex's command center.

"Then we'll attack him too!" The red Queen shouted angrily. "I don't care which System Lord it is. I'll tear apart _anyone _who had anything to do with Elizabeth's' torture."

"Saya!" Diva reprimanded. "Are you insane!? The Swarmfleet is formidable, but its greatest advantage is its size. If we split it up to engage two major System Lords at once, it'll lose much of its strength."

Saya turned to glare at her twin, her eyes glowing ruby red.

"And I don't think it even has enough in absolute numbers to do so in the first place."

"We could-"

"Don't you _dare _suggest we pull ships away from our garrisons!" Diva shouted back. "They're stretched thin as is. Until our yards begin fully transiting to wartime production, the Swarmfleet is the limit to our offensive capability. We agreed on this!"

Saya remembered that. But that was before Elizabeth was taken. Now that she had…

"It changes nothing!" Diva scolded.

Saya recoiled. How could Diva say that!?

"I love Elizabeth too," Diva said with a frown. "But we can't put a single Chevalier above the safety of our daughters! If we draw down our garrisons, it'll be their Hives, their lives at risk."

_Diva's right, but…_

"I know it is hard to accept, Saya." Nimue offered kindly. "But sometimes making painful decisions is necessary. Being able to do so is the mark of a good leader."

_Nimue is right too._

Taking a calming breath, Saya nodded. Her anger still raged but now it was tempered by her rationality. At least she hoped so.

"I'm calm now," she reassured her concerned twin and friend.

The two exchanged a look, before Diva nodded at Nimue to continue.

"As Diva was saying the Swarmfleet's greatest strength is its size. That's what's allowing it to steamroll the opposition with only minimal losses. However, if you keep pushing Ba'al and Cronus this advantage might just evaporate. While you've dealt them, Ba'al especially, massive damage lately, they still have considerable reserves at their disposal. Ships that if pulled together will outnumber the Swarmfleet at least four to one."

"And what are the chances they would bring all their ships together like that?" Diva asked. "Wouldn't that mean effectively depleting all their garrisons thus conceding all their worlds?"

"Not exactly, but close enough." Nimue agreed. "So it'll only be something they'll do if forced into a corner. However, if desperate enough they might throw caution to the wind and do it. At which point, even the Swarmfleet would not be able to defeat them."

"Or," Diva added. "Our aggression will spook the other System Lords and they band together with Cronus and Ba'al to defeat us."

"Alright, I get it." Saya said, frustrated that they were making sense. "We'll limit our offensive to one of them at a time. You said Cronus has Elizabeth."

"Yes," Nimue agreed with a nod. "Ba'al arranged for her to fall into his hands."

"Couldn't stand the heat could he?" Saya said with sardonic smile.

"Sister," Diva said as she cupped Saya's hands. "You just need to be patient. With the whole Swarm now on a war footing, our forces will quickly swell. Once we are ready we'll finish off Ba'al as well."

"I know," the red Queen replied even as she shot her twin a recriminating look. "But this wouldn't even be an issue if the Pacifists had listened to me and prepared better."

"Saya," Nimue chided. "There is no point in placing blame. The past is over and done with, we need to instead look to the present and the future."

Chastised, the red Queen nodded to her older friend's wisdom.

_Just a little longer sister, _Diva reassured her. _Just a little longer till we free Elizabeth and get our revenge._

* * *

A world burned. It's atmosphere set alight by a barrage of exotic particles, its lands glassed by raging firestorms, and its seas boiled by the titanic forces it was subjected to. All for the crime of being a world in possession of the Goa'uld System Lord Ba'al. Hovering over this dying world was the fleet that was its killer, all under the command of Louis, Chevalier of Diva and commander of the Swarmfleet.

_Louis, _the sweet voice of his Queen reached across the light years and the billions of voices in the Swarmmind to reach the Chevalier's mind.

_My queen?_

_Ba'al has lost Elizabeth to Cronus. _Diva told him, her voice calm but tinged with a cold fury that could not be hidden within the telepathy of the Swarmmind. _You are to shift targets _immediately_. Attack the self-proclaimed titan and force him to return your sister._

_Your will be done! _Louis responded even as he sent a wordless command to the Swarmfleet to cease and desist.

Without any hint of hesitation or delay, the massive Chiropteran armada ceased their orbital bombardment. And with another burst of wordless instructions from their commander, the vast fleet moved with the fluidity of a single organism as they broke orbit of the burning world and tearing open massive hyperspace windows jumped into the alternate dimension.

It had a new target to destroy.

* * *

**And done!**

**And wow! Ba'al is a dick. A cool dick to watch in canon, but until I had to write him I never realized just how incredibly terrible his scheming could be and what kind of mindset he would have to possess to pull off the kind of things he did. **

**That said he is still glorious at it and I still love him.**

**Okay, I've said my piece I think. So till next time, ciao!**


	16. And I will kill those who have taken you

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 12: And I will kill those who have taken you**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Torture, Suicide**

Typically, a Goa'uld System Lord commanding his fleet into battle would sit on the thrones in the Pel'tak of their flagships and attempted to look stern and proud. Even in the face of defeat. As befit a race of beings who considered themselves gods. Today however Cronus could not bring himself to pull off any of that.

All he could manage was stand and gape in horror as one by one the hastily built missiles tipped with his arsenal of worldbreaker missiles that he launched at the incoming Swarmfleet were handily intercepted by the Chiropteran ships despite their protective screen of gliders and their installed active countermeasures. Despite shields, improved engines, even the suicidal escort of his Jaffa, the missiles were shot down one after another by the intense cloud of point defense fire that the bats were putting up around their ships.

He was heartened for a moment as a series of massive explosions rippled across the leading edge of the enemy fleet, signalling that at least some of his missiles had found their mark. The explosions of the high-yield antimatter warheads blinded his sensors and Cronus could only wait in trepidation as his Jaffa scrambled to restore a clear read on the battle.

_This _must _succeed._ The System Lord hoped desperately. If not in destroying the monster fleet then to at least crippling it sufficiently as to halt its advance.

The losses he'd suffered at their hands already had been astronomical. He'd lost half his fleet and at least a dozen worlds. If they continued their advance, his domain was likely to be wiped out entirely.

"My lord, we've restored the sensors," his First Prime informed him. "The enemy-"

Cronus pushed past the reporting Jaffa as he stood, he didn't need to hear what he had to say. Not when it was staring at him from the central viewscreen. Gasping in horrified shock he beheld the largely intact enemy fleet. While his weapons had destroyed almost a hundred of the enemy's ships, those were mainly the smaller, weaker ships.

As if the failure wasn't enough, the clearly infuriated enemy was now attacking with renewed ferocity.

"Retreat!" He roared frantically. "Get us out of here. Now!"

He had to flee to preserve what remained of his fleets and more importantly to save his own life.

Obeying their god, the Jaffa snapped to obey and his Ha'tak rapidly began pulling away. A moment later they were safely in transit away from the ill fated battlefield via hyperspace.

Finally safe, Cronus allowed himself to sink back onto his throne.

_Curse Heru'ur and Ba'al. This is all their fault. _The Goa'uld cursed. _If only they hadn't awakened the sleeping dragon._

* * *

The debris from innumerable of her people's frigates and battleships stretched out as far as Elizabeth's 'eyes' could see, the result of a Goa'uld's desperation and ultimately her own failure.

_This is all my fault. _The Chevalier lamented. _If I hadn't been captured, so many of my kindred would not be put into the position to lose their lives like this._

As was often the case since her capture, she was wrenched from her time within the depths of the Swarmmind by a powerful electric shock that left her writhing in her restraints. As the electricity was finally cut off an eternity later, Elizabeth was greeted with her latest captor.

She was a Goa'uld scientist possessing a young woman with long, curly blond hair and stormy gray eyes dressed in a chiton and with a shawl made from the skin of some exotic reptile.

"Having sweet dreams, little bat?" The Goa'uld said with venomous sweetness as she looked up at the naked spread eagled form of her prisoner as it was held firmly in place by Trinium restraints to the wall of her lab. "Did you perhaps see your Queens' fleet burning at the hands of my lord's retribution?"

"I did see the battle, Kampe." Elizabeth informed her new captor with a satisfied grin. "But your lord's so-called retribution was little more than a distraction and my Queens' fleet was more than able to send him running with his tail between his legs."

Kampe grinned in amusement even as she picked up a rod with a pair of pokers at the end from a bin next to her and proceeded to jab it into Elizabeth.

Immediately, a surge of energy jumped from the Goa'uld Rod of Anguish into her body causing every pain receptor to fire at the same time and inducing an unimaginable level of agony, even as an excess energy bled out of her eyes and mouth as small static discharges.

"Your screams make my mornings so much more enjoyable." Kampe said with a vicious little smile as she pulled the pain stick away. "I wonder how I made do without it in the past."

_Sadistic bitch. _Elizabeth thought to herself as she recovered a little. _Then again it's precisely that sadism that will what I have in mind work._

_Elizabeth! Don't do it! _The faint whisper of her Queen called out to her through their Hivemind. The distance and Elizabeth's own weakness making it so difficult to even truly hear her beloved liege.

_Is that an order, my Queen? _The Chevalier sent, knowing full well that she could not defy such, but also knowing her Queen would _never _give such a command.

There was no reply, just a unreadable mesh of mixed emotion.

_Still keeping your promise to never deprive me of my free will, Saya? _Elizabeth sent back with a smile.

"Still smiling?" Kampe asked, her sick little grin growing even more twisted. "I'll give you something to smile about."

With that ominous statement, she jabbed Elizabeth with the pain stick once more.

_Don't do it! _Elizabeth heard Saya beg over the sound of her own screams. _I'm coming for you. _

After another pain wrecked forever, Kampe finally pulled back the pain stick allowing Elizabeth to catch a brief and reply to the Queen.

_I'm sorry, Saya, but I can't. _

_What do you mean?_

_I can't face the Swarm again, not after my actions have led to the deaths of so many._

_Don't think like that! _Saya demanded, but again falling short of a direct order.

_I can't help it. I owe the Swarm everything and now… Now I'm repaying that by bringing nothing but death. I can't accept that._

Elizabeth heard her Queen continue to try and reason with her, while Kampe began her experiments for the day. She paid attention to neither, instead allowing her mind to drift back into her memories.

* * *

[Flashback starts]

Cold and fear.

That was all Elizabeth felt as she fled with her family across a frozen Siberian river from the Bolshevik Red Army in the middle of the intense Russian winter.

Just months ago, they had been mid-ranked nobles in the Russian Empire and even with the Great War waging in the East, their lives had been comfortable and happy. Then came the February and October Revolutions that had sent their nation and lives into chaotic turmoil. Especially the latter, which had led them to flee their home and join the hordes of refugees as their beloved country descended into bloody Civil War.

"Run Lizzie, run." Her father encouraged as he pulled her along the slippery ice even as they tried their best to avoid the rain of bullets the Communists were shooting their way.

All around her, fellow refugees, people who she'd come to know over the course of the last few months since they fled their ancestral home, died. Some shot, others taking the wrong step onto thin ice and falling through into the freezing water below, still more just collapsing in exhaustion from the run and giving up. No matter how it happened the outcome was always the same: death.

"We'll be safe on the other side." Her father assured her, even as they skirted around a woman crying to the heavens as she crouched over the dead body of a man that might have been her husband. "They won't follow us over the ice."

"You sure, Andre?" Elizabeth's mother asked breathlessly. She like Elizabeth herself were raised as noblewoman, they were hardly expected to be fit enough to do something as strenuous as run for their lives. Her daughter had the benefit of youth though, and was managing well enough but the middle aged woman was struggling. It was only Elizabeth's two younger brothers all but dragging their mother along that allowed her to keep pace with them.

"Yes," Elizabeth's father insisted, though she could detect the lack of conviction in his voice.

"Mortar!" Someone shouted from the rear of the refugee column and Elizabeth and her family instinctively put on more speed.

It was all for naught though and the shell landed just ahead of them. The bodies of their fellow refugees shielded them enough form the blast that they weren't killed by it outright, unfortunately that just meant a slower death awaited them. For the blast had cracked the ice right under them and all of them fell into the frigid river waters.

In the crush of bodies and while fighting the river's current, Elizabeth lost her hold on her father's hand. Closing her mind to that as well as the many bodies floating pass her in the water, she broke the surface and grabbed a hold of the edge of the hole in the ice where she'd found herself. She struggled to pull herself up but failed, she was too exhausted and with the cold water continuing to seep her strength found she could only barely manage to stop from slipping back into the river.

This left her with a front row seat to the Reds systematically rounding up the refugees. Some they killed outright before looting their corpses but others they spared.

In was in the middle of this processing that a Red soldier found her.

He look flabbergasted to see her still alive but hastily rushed to pull her out of the water.

"Why were you running?" The soldier said as he finally hauled her out and they both sat on the edge of the ice hole, catching their breath.

Elizabeth wanted to tell the fool the truth. That she was fleeing a genocidal regime that was not satisfied with stealing everything her family had worked generations to build but which also wanted her dead for being part of a family that had made something of itself through hard work. She knew however that doing so was suicide, so her teeth chattering from the cold she called on all the skill she'd picked up in her childhood acting lessons.

"I-I'm trying to e-escape the fighting."

The soldier seemed convinced but not his commissar.

"Lose the girl, soldier." The Communist political officer said as he marched over. "We have no time to drag a wet girl across all of Siberia."

Again the soldier hesitated, opening his mouth to protest. But the commissar beat him to the punch. Raising his pistol, the officer shot Elizabeth and kicked her back into the river before the soldier could even stand.

_So I'm going to die today after all. _Elizabeth thought forlornly as she fell back towards the freezing waters. _Papa, Mama, Vitya, Fedya, I'll see you soon._

Just as Elizabeth hit the freezing water once more, she saw a red blur skewer the commissar but she chalked it up as a hallucination created by her dying mind. The same for the beautiful brunette woman with startling red eyes that seemed to be diving down through the water with her hand stretched out towards her even as she sank to the river bottom.

_Ah! My angel has come to take me to heaven._

[Flashback Ends]

* * *

_I'm sorry. _Saya said as Elizabeth exited the memory. _I failed to keep the promise of giving you a happy life I made that day._

Elizabeth could see Kampe setting up her instruments for yet another vivisection, but she paid it no mind. She'd endured enough of those already to find them almost familiar. She was more concerned with comforting her Queen at the moment anyway.

_That's not true, Saya. You and the Swarm saved me. You gave me a family when I had lost mine. You gave me everything I ever wanted._

* * *

[Flashback starts]

Elizabeth sipped at her coffee as she leaned back in her chair at a upmarket cafe in Paris, enjoying the time she was spending with her Queen, Saya who was seated across the table from her and enjoying her own drink.

All around them supposedly fashionable women walked around in clothes that Elizabeth found rather unappealing. They were all dressed in various boyish, shapeless styles featuring low waists and higher hemlines. In contrast, both Elizabeth and her Queen were dressed in outdated, but to their both their minds superior looking, long dresses and corsets.

"It makes them all seem almost androgynous in appearance, doesn't it?"

"I agree," Elizabeth concurred. "I know it's supposed to be trend in these 1920s, but I can't help but dislike it. A woman should look like a woman. Playing down their feminine features isn't flattering at all."

"I couldn't agree more." Saya said with a decisive nod. "Though I can see why the style is popular. It's a way to reflect society's increasing recognition of woman as equals."

Elizabeth couldn't resist her scoff at that.

"So it's saying that women need to give up what it means to be women to be seen as equals?"

"So it would seem." Saya said with a disappointed shake of her head. "They seem to not understand that equal does not mean the same."

"That didn't stop you from buying a whole load of the 'unappealing' clothing." Elizabeth said while gesturing to the many bags of clothes around them.

"I suppose not." Saya conceded with a giggle, before pointing to her Chevalier's own bags. "But it didn't stop you either."

Elizabeth just grinned playfully in reply.

"Being able to do this, chatting about fashion, is refreshing, you know?" Saya said after a moment. "Before you joined us, I've never had anyone who was really on the same wavelength. Haji is a loyal friend but he's so set in his role as my dutiful servant and bodyguard that I can't really relax around him like this. Furthermore, as a man, having been born as and grown up as a servant, he just can't comprehend certain things."

The Chevalier nodded, successfully hiding a sympathetic wince for her brother.

"And there's Diva," Saya said with a sigh. "I love her with all my heart, but she is just _so _different from me sometimes that I find it hard to believe we are sisters. I guess what I'm trying to say Elizabeth is that you're probably my best friend."

"I'm hardly qualified for such a lofty title, my Queen." Elizabeth replied, blushing prettily at the flattery.

"Well, it's what I think." Saya said with a shrug. "I think that for something like this, that's what counts the most."

"I'm honored."

"You should be," Saya said, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. "Because a lot of it has to do with the fact you're great in bed."

"Saya!" Elizabeth hissed with a bright blush.

[Flashback Ends]

* * *

_You and Swarm gave me love. _Elizabeth reminded her Queen as she let the memory slip away. _Yet, Despite all these wonderful things you and the Swarm have given me, all I'm doing now is leading us to the slaughter. That's not something I can accept._

_That's not true!_

Elizabeth didn't reply, instead she returned her attention to her body and turned to face Kampe as she worked at the controls of the vivisection machine, programming it for today's session. She was distracted by her work, which was perfect.

The Goa'uld hated being interrupted when she was working, so this was the perfect time to carry out her plan.

_Time to act._ Elizabeth thought, ignoring her Queen's increasingly desperate cries to stop.

Working her throat to build up the saliva in her mouth, the Chevalier waited until she had as big a ball of the fluid as she could before she spat directly into the distracted Kampe's face.

The outraged Goa'uld reacted exactly like Elizabeth expected and reached for the pain stick and in furious rage began to repeatedly jab her with it.

Even as the intense pain wiped away her ability to think properly Elizabeth couldn't help but be satisfied that the first phase of her plan was going well.

She didn't know how long it took until Kampe finally stopped and she recovered her wits, but the Chevalier was pleased to note that the weakness she'd been feeling from her long imprisonment and torture had grown once more. She'd been weakening for some time, but now it'd finally reached the point where it might be enough for what she had in mind.

_This is enough. Or close to it._

Moving her aching head slowly, she turned to see Kampe examining an array of devices she must intend to use for her experiments today.

_They weren't the vivisection machine, so she must have been done with that part of the day already. _Elizabeth reasoned. _All the better. That always drained my strength the most._

In the background, the Chevalier could still hear her Queen pleading with her to stop but with a heavy heart Elizabeth ignored her sweet voice.

"Anything interesting today, Kampe?"

"Oh, awake are you?" Kampe asked, looking up from her instruments. "I was wondering when you would regain consciousness. It's so much better working on you when you're able to scream in pain."

"I suppose so. But you didn't answer my question."

"You'll find out soon enough." The Goa'uld said as she returned to examining her devices.

_Good. She's all engrossed in her work again. Time to push her buttons._

"Not going to tell me? Is it because it's going to be as boring as everything else you've come up with?"

"Shut up!" The snake snarled. "I need to concentrate."

"Oh really? Well, why don't I help you there. I hear music helps with that a great deal. Here, let me sing you a song." Elizabeth said with a cocky grin as she began belting out a tune in as off key a manner as she could manage.

To the Goa'uld's credit, she lasted a full five minutes before she gestured to one of the Jaffa guards in the lab, Who promptly tossed his 'goddess' his staff weapon.

Despite the implicit threat as the snake leveled the weapon at her Elizabeth smirked condescendingly, in itself another jab at Kampe.

"Must we do this everyday?" Kampe asked, as she smirked back and shot the Chevalier with the plasma caster. "Now be quiet."

The staff blast blew a large hole through Elizabeth's chest and she sagged in her restraints. For a moment, she looked down at the massive injury morbidly waiting to see if it healed. When it did not, she allowed herself a smile,

She heard her Queen cry out in grief. A wordless tormented cry.

_Don't cry Saya. This is for the best. _Elizabeth comforted as best as she was able even as her mind starting to black out.

"Why aren't you healing?" Kampe asked almost hysterically as she finally noticed that the wound she'd inflicted was not closing. "Heal yourself! Do you want to die!?"

Blood trickling down her chin Elizabeth raised her head to smirk at her tormentor one last time even as darkness began to consume her vision.

_I hope that my Queens' will calm down after this._

With that last thought, Elizabeth, Chevalier of Saya, died.

* * *

_This can't be happening! _Kampe thought to herself as she desperately tried to revive her prisoner via a sarcophagus.

_Why isn't it working!? _The scientist all but screamed as she changed the restorative device's parameters _again _and put the corpse through yet another cycle.

Like the dozen times before, it had no effect and the bat remained just as lifeless as when she'd thrown the body into the machine.

"My Lady," one of her Jaffa said hesitantly. "Lord Cronus is on the comms."

_Oh no! Not now!_

Despite her panic however Kampe just nodded and walked over to the nearest console and brought up the comm link.

"My lord," she greeted her liege as she always did, letting none of her fear slip into her voice.

"Prepare the Chiropteran for release at once," he commanded tiredly. "She's become too hot to handle."

"A-Apologies, my lord." Kampe said with a nervous gulp. "But that's not possible."

"Why not?" The System Lord said looking at her with a severe glare.

"She's dead, my lord. My experiments proved too much for her body and she died. I've been trying to revive her with the sarcophagus but it's not working."

For a long moment Cronos just looked at her in shock, before his eyes burned gold.

"**Jaffa, kree!**" The System Lord shouted furiously. "**Seize the wretch!**"

"Forgive me, my lord!" The scientist begged. "Just give me some time. I assure you that I'll figure out a way to revive her."

Cronus ignored her.

"**Execute this trash!**"

"**No!**" Kampe screamed even as her own First Prime raised his staff weapon to her face.

The last sight she ever saw was a bolt of plasma shooting from it right at her.

* * *

**And done.**

**Hope you liked this chapter. It showed just why Elizabeth is so important to Saya while also showing said Chevalier's guilt getting the better of her and making her do something stupid. **

**I won't touch the latter idea since it's so controversial beyond just saying that why **_**anyone **_**would do something like that varies from person to person. So while some might not think Elizabeth's reasoning compelling, keep in mind that it is to **_**her**_**. A bit of a cop out I know, but it was something I felt made sense. The woman thinks she owes the Swarm her **_**everything **_**and that her continued captivity is costing the Swarm too much. In that situation, she made her fateful decision.**

**As for why Elizabeth is so important to Saya. The red Queen describes her as her best friend in the chapter, but if you read in between the lines I think you can tell there's more to that. Without Elizabeth in her life, Saya likely would have completely lost her humanity by now. The Chevalier by being someone who the red Queen could share her human interests with, allowed her to find a balance within herself. For this, Elizabeth is very important to Saya. At least that's what I was trying to convey.**

**Tell me how I did with that.**

**Till next time, ciao!**


	17. I will avenge you

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 13: I will avenge you**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Mention of suicide**

Diva could only watch in horror as she saw Elizabeth's vision blacken, her connection to the Swarmmind and to life fade out, all as she gazed morbidly at the hole the Staff Weapon had blown into her weakened flesh.

She and Saya had been trying to use their connection to the Chevalier to locate her, but the stubborn woman had been blocking them lately in a bid to convince them to give up on her. They had been so pleased that they had managed to reestablish contact at last even if it was because her torture had left her too weak to keep them out. A connection, however it came about, greatly improved their chance of finding and rescuing her. They never imagined though that their restored link would allow them the terrible honor of seeing Elizabeth commit suicide.

The death was permanent too as Elizabeth being a Chevalier was a partially Ascended Being. This meant that even with the most advanced resurrection technologies and Ascended techniques, couldn't revive her. Even the best of these revival methods could not recollect the essence that made up the soul of partially or fully Ascended Beings. Not without scrambling it into an unrecognizable shape. In this way, mortals were more fortunate as their essence rested solely in their bodies in life and thus did not get as easily scattered in death. So long as the body remained relatively intact, a full revival was entirely possible. It was one of only a few ways that Ascended were worst off than mortals.

_It makes one wonder whether gaining an infinite lifespan in exchange for true mortality was worth it._

Diva was still processing the reminder of the mortality of Ascended Beings especially _her_ own when with a primal scream tore her back to the material world.

Turning she saw Saya tearing their quarters to pieces in her rage. Her eyes were twin red flames as she reduced their bed, one which Elizabeth had shared on many occasions, into kindling, as she smashed their furniture into twisted fragments, and as she punched craters into the trinium reinforced walls.

Diva opened her mouth to say something, anything to quell her sister's anger, but stopped herself when she found she didn't know what to say.

As much as she took pleasure in having Elizabeth as a concubine, servant and Chevalier, her sister's connection with the Russian woman was much deeper. She had seen her as a genuine friend and perhaps more.

_What could I possibly say to Saya at the lost of someone like that?_

Nothing. At least nothing that the blue Queen could think of, so she just stood there in a silent vigil as her normally composed twin unleashed her fury in a uncharacteristic display of violence.

As the minutes pass and Saya showing no sign of calming however, Diva finally had no choice but to act.

"Saya," the blue Queen called in a concerned voice even as she pushed a tidal wave of calm at her through their bond.

Her sister was still a whirling dervish of destruction as she ripped apart their bed linens into ever smaller pieces, but she slowed. Finally, after a few anxious seconds she stopped altogether and let the tattered remains of their comforter fall to the floor and turned to face Diva.

"We _will _avenge Elizabeth," Saya declared, her eyes still burning like a pair of crimson flames.

Diva nodded and made to reply, but Saya preempted her.

"We won't rest until we wipe Cronus and all sign he ever existed from creation."

Saya's mind and the Swarmmind was roiling with intense righteous bloodlust, and Diva couldn't help but be swept up in it as she nodded, her own eyes glowing blue in anticipation.

* * *

Othrys, throne world of the Goa'uld System Lord Cronus, was a rocky planet that was rich in minerals. It like many worlds on the Chappa'ai network had been terraformed eons ago by the Alterans and made habitable. However, its largely mountainous terrain had made the development of a large population difficult.

All this however suited the System Lord just fine when he'd first discovered the world millennia in the past. All he cared about was that the world of grand peaks fitted the mythological theme he had taken upon himself as King of the Titans, and more importantly that the planet's mineral wealth would fuel his war machine. Thus he'd established himself on the world.

A world that was now besieged by the full might of the Swarmfleet.

Cronus, however, was not about to go quietly in the night. He knew that with the Chevalier's death, the Chiropterans would stop at nothing to see him dead. As such, if he wished to survive he had to gamble everything on a last stand. Pulling back his entire fleet to Othrys, he had amassed no less than 598 Ha'tak, 972 Shel'tak, and 2073 Al'kesh to try and avert his doom. In the process, he abandoned dozens of worlds to his rival Goa'uld but with his very survival at stake, that was very much a secondary concern. It was nevertheless a great loss on his part but nothing less than this desperate move would allow him to even stand a chance against the Swarm's overwhelming might.

Thus as Louis 'looked' out from the 'eyes' of the Pilots under his command he was greeted with the sight of two immense armadas slowly but surely moving into formation in preparation for what was assuredly going to be a titanic clash. Particularly, as his own forces had recently received reinforcements that brought his own bring his fleet up to 879 battleships and 1829 frigates.

_We _will _win this._ The Chevalier thought to himself confidently as he took note of the ragged condition of Cronus' fleet. Many of his ships sporting damage of some kind, mostly minor or even just cosmetic, but some included serious hull breeches that looked barely patched over. It would appear the System Lord had truly thrown everything he had into this battle.

_Enough bird watching. _Louis joked as his fleet finished forming into their formations.

Unlike the Goa'uld who liked a long line formation. The Chiropteran favored to group their squadrons into task groups which clustered together in various formations. This allowed a degree of tactical flexibility that the Goa'uld with their rigid hierarchy and the tactics it engendered, designed to reduce the chance for subordinates to act without orders, could not match.

_Have we entered firing range?_

_Affirmative. Extreme range._

_Then maintain distance and fire at will! _

Within seconds, a storm of exotic particles were unleashed from the Chiropteran armada and hurtled through the void at the Goa'uld as had become the standard opening move for such engagements. Like all those previous battles as well, the Goa'uld began to die in droves even as they pushed their engines to close the distance so they could return fire.

_Enemy strike craft inbound._

_As expected, _Louis replied distractedly as he watched with satisfaction as a Ha'tak was torn apart by secondary explosions after being hit in some critical system or other by a photon torpedo. _Fighters. Stay in a close defensive screen as a counter. Don't wander too far from the fleet._

There were a burst of disgruntled agreement from the fighter Pilots. They understandably were not happy at being unable to get in close with the enemy fleet and join in the slaughter. But if all went as predicted, he needed them close.

For the time being though, they could join him in admiring the sight of dozens of Goa'uld ships going up in fireballs.

_This is more of a cakewalk than I expected it to be._

As if his thought had jinxed things, the moment it crossed his mind was precisely when alarms rang through the Fleetmind.

_Hyperspace transit. Enemy contact._

_So they've come at last?_ Louis mused, unsurprised by this development. _Numbers?_

_1153 Ha'tak, 2864 Shel'tak, 5216 Al'kesh. Aligned with Ba'al, Apophis, Heru'ur._ _Attempting to pincer._

Louis was impressed by those numbers. That was quite an impressive number of ships even if it was a combined force of three different System Lords. Though that feeling was overshadowed a great deal by disgust as he did a quick count of Cronus' remaining fleet.

Considering the limits of the Goa'uld hyperdrives and the distances involved, this coalition fleet must have been lingering nearby and observing the battle. Yet they had only chose to jump in _after _Cronus had already lost half his fleet.

Ordering his rear groups to reorient themselves to meet this new threat, Louis couldn't help but scoff at the level of arrogance exhibited by the Goa'uld's actions.

_They face us, arguably the greatest foe they've faced ever, and yet still presume to play political games with each other, even before they've won the battle? _

_They are scum. Of that there is no doubt. _Saya sent to him over the Swarmmind. _But in terms of their tactics this battle, we have no room to rebuke them._

Even as her words played across his mind, a massive series of hyperspace windows opened to the rear of the Goa'uld relief fleet and disgorged a massive fleet of Chiropteran reinforcements. 1200 _Bonaparte_-class battleships and 6000 _Résurrection_-class frigates smoothly exited the alternate dimension whilst escorting a true leviathan of a voidship. For at the heart of this fleet was a single massive spherical ship the size of a small moon and whose surface was filled with hangars giving it an appearance akin to a honeycomb. This was the new _Elizabeth-_class Hive Ship, fresh out of the drydock and being commanded by no less than the Swarm Queens themselves.

The sight of it filled Louis with awe even as he idly wondered about the looks on the faces of the Goa'uld at this development. He had no doubt that it would be amusing.

* * *

_Aimée and Anastasie have outdone themselves for completing the Elizabeth in time for this battle. _Saya mused as she oversaw the various squadrons of the Hive Ship's escorts as they formed up into the groups and formations they had been assigned as they rectified the minor chaos in their positioning that hyperspace travel inevitably caused.

_It was an honor, Mama Saya. _The Swarm's oldest Hive Queens sent back in unison. _We were happy to do our part in service of the will of the Swarm._

Having said their piece the twins retreated back into the Swarmmind to join their sisters who had turned up in force to spectate on this battle from afar through the 'eyes' of the many Pilots in the two Swarmfleets.

_Enjoy the show, girls. _Diva sent out playfully to their daughters.

It looked to be an entertaining, if one-sided, show indeed.

The Goa'uld relief fleet upon seeing their trap being turned against them by the massive Chiropteran reinforcements immediately lost all cohesion. Like rats jumping from a sinking ship, the snakes' ships scattered and individually or in small groups attempted to escape but were thwarted however as their hyperspace windows fail to form properly.

Leaning back on the comfortable twin sized command throne in the _Elizabeth_'s bridge, Saya smirked at the scene as the fleeing Goa'uld's retreat was further complicated by elements of Louis' fleet, one they themselves had hoped to ambush, opened fire on them and sinking one ship after another.

_Diva, remind me to thank Nimue for providing us with hyperspace inhibitor technology. _

Cuddling, into her side, Diva just sent back a burst of agreement.

_That's enough of seeing them panic, don't you think sister?_ Saya asked, as the Pilots in her fleet reported back that they were done reforming into their formations.

_Yes. Let the hunt begin._

_All Pilots! Hunt the snakes down like the vermin they are! _

Her order was met with a roar of approval throughout the Swarmmind. From the lowest Worker to their daughter Queens, they were all of one mind as they cheered on the Pilots as they split off into their squadrons and task groups and chased after the Goa'uld scum.

* * *

Anag was a Jaffa in service to the god Heru'ur who through his loyalty and years of service to his god had been given the honor of piloting one of the new heavy Reaper Gliders into battle. When he had first been conferred his new role, he had been ecstatic. It was a sign of recognition from his god that he had taken great pride in.

However, as he jinxed and dodged through the chaotic rout that this battle against the Chiropteran had become, he was disillusioned. Where was the honor in being led into a slaughter? It was this traitorous thought that in turn had led him to, for the first time in his life, coming to doubt his god. For what god would so foolishly have allowed himself to be caught in an ambush of this scale?

A photon torpedo streaking to his right and detonating, and obliterating, a squadron of standard Gliders reminded him that he was still in a warzone and Anag threw his thoughts to the side for the moment. He had to focus if he wanted to live through this.

As if to prove this point, his instruments screamed an alert. Glancing at his HUD, he cursed unintelligibly under his breath as they informed him that one of the loathsome bats' deadly fighters had locked on to him.

Pushing his machine to the limit, he desperately made evasive maneuvers, successfully dodging the enemy's first few shots. His good fortune did not last though and his fighter's poor maneuverability quickly caught up to him as the Reaper proved unable to shake the enemy and its sustained fire on his tail.

"Enemy on tail! Assistance required." Anag shouted desperately over the comms. "Help! I need help!"

There was no reply beyond a sea of incomprehensible nonsense over the comms as thousands of similar panicked calls flooded subspace.

Cursing his fate, the Jaffa could do nothing as the Chiropteran finally finished whittling down his Reaper's shields and he was blown to pieces by the superior fighter.

* * *

Ylelnon was a Jaffa that through deceit and cunning had schemed his way into the position as de facto Ship Lord -Even if such a rank would never be granted to a mere Jaffa by their Goa'uld overlords- of a Shel'tak in the service of Lord Ba'al.

Ylelnon, of course, did not believe Ba'al was a god. He did however believe he was a powerful being and that he could gain much by serving him. Faced with the situation before him however, the Jaffa 'ship lord' couldn't help but think his past self who believed that was a fool.

Pushing his destroyer's sublight engines to maximum, Ylelnon desperately tried to escape the envelope of the Chiropterans' hyperspace inhibitors.

Distractedly, he wondered where the bats got such technology? Did they steal it from Nimue, the only other power who had it, or did they develop it independently? If he could figure that out and sell the information, he would likely be able to buy his way into a comfortable future.

The rocking of his Pel'tak from hits against his ship's shield however reminded him that if he wanted a future he needed to escape this killing field first.

Tapping into the ship's systems via his console, he confirmed that the two Chiropteran frigates were _still _chasing him. He had initially fled the battle alongside a flotilla of other ships in service to Ba'al but they had been pounced upon by a group of the bats' ships. Most of his group of ships had idiotically, in his opinion, stuck together and tried to make a fighting retreat.

Ylelnon, however, had more sense and broke away to make his own escape. Where a whole group of ships would inevitably attract attention, a lone destroyer might just slip by unnoticed. At least that had been what he'd thought. Unfortunately, the damnable bats' were through and had split off a couple of their frigates to pursue him.

They had been relentlessly on his tail ever since.

_Persistent pests. _Ylelnon cursed them in his own mind.

He was tempted to turn around and face them head on. Even two against one, his Shel'tak might still have a chance against the smaller ships. However, he knew that the moment he did so he'll just be inviting more of the bats' vessels to catch up with him and finish him off.

_I have no choice. _The Jaffa thought as kept pushing his ships' sublight engines.

Unfortunately for Ylelnon, his fear that other Chiropteran would join in the hunt of his ship came to pass and a Chiropteran battleship microjumped right in front of his destroyer.

"No!" Ylelnon screamed as the enemy ship fired its main gun and the positron beam disintegrated him.

* * *

The Goa'uld Khepri, former Fleet Lord of Ra and now in service to Apophis could only shake his head in fatalistic amusement at his coming death.

_Thousands of years of climbing the hierarchy of the Empire and now I'm going to just be another forgotten casualty at the hands of the bats' fury? _The Goa'uld thought as he and what elements of his fleet who still obeyed his commands tried to escape the range of the enemy's hyperspace inhibitors. _This is irony indeed. I've killed countless to assuage my rage and those of my overlords, and now I'll die at the hands of another's._

"My lord," his First Prime said as he stepped up. "A detachment of the enemy fleet is rapidly closing."

Khepri raised the clean shaven head of his host to look at the man and couldn't help but feel admiration at the Jaffa's stoicism even in the face of what he must know to be their imminent demise.

_The Jaffa truly are an impressive people. _Khepri found himself thinking even as he nodded to his dutiful lieutenant.

"Form a defensive sphere and put up a wall of fire to hold the enemy back while continuing to push our sublight engines."

Looking to his tactical screen as he finished giving the order, the Goa'uld watched as his ships obeyed. A fact that brought him some comfort. At least not all his warriors had abandoned him. After the Chiropteran main force had arrived and the failure of their hyperdrives, dozens of ships had refused to listen to his orders and had taken flight on their own initiative. This collapse of the command structure only served to make what would have been a desperate fighting retreat into a full blown rout.

In such a situation, with little to no cohesive resistance to speak of, the Chiropterans had only to mop the disorganized Goa'uld forces up at their own leisure. And as his tactical screen showed, they were now turning their attention to Khepri's small flotilla. They were even now exploiting the superior range of their weapons and opening fire from well outside his ability to retaliate.

_I really should have pushed our scientists to figure out a way to extend the life of our magnetic shells like Nimue has. _Khepri thought as he grimly watched as one by one his ships were picked off. _It would allow us to hit back at least._

The Goa'uld weakness in range was not just a matter of targeting. It was the fact that the magnetic shells they used to contain their various plasma weapons simply did not have the lifespans needed to allow them to reach the distances the Chiropterans could fire from. Without those magnetic shells, the environment of the void simply caused the plasma to disperse and rapidly cool transforming it into little more than harmless clouds of gas.

Exploiting this weakness to the full, Khepri's Chiropteran enemies were killing his fleet from outside his range and maneuvering to maintain that advantage even as he pushed his engines to close in on them. He was closing the difference, the slightly superior Goa'uld sublight drives proving their worth, but he was losing ships too quickly for it to matter.

_At this rate, they'll finish us before we can even finish closing. I suppose that's their intent. They're not even going to offer us a chance to fight back? _Khepri shook his host's handsome clean shaven head. _Then again in their position, I wouldn't either._

Odd readings from the Chiropterans' massive new ship caught his attention, and he zoomed in his tactical display to see what it was doing. His eyes widened as he saw that it was orienting itself to present what looked like a massive weapons array built into one of the cells of its honeycombed surface right at his fleet.

_At least I'll die seeing their superweapon. That's some consolation at least. _The Goa'uld thought with some resignation as his First Prime screamed.

"The enemy supership has opened fire on our position!"

Khepri didn't reply. There was no point. Instead, he forced himself to smile, to face death with dignity even as his world was consumed by bright white light and he knew no more.

* * *

Saya watched as the last significant enemy resistance evaporated under the power of the _Elizabeth_'s positron super cannon. The powerful antimatter beam reducing the proud group of Goa'uld warships into their constituent atoms in a single shot despite their shields and armor.

_Main gun at 0.1% charge._ The _Elizabeth_'s Pilot reported.

_Looks like the gun will be out of commission for a while. _Diva noted, with a frown. _That thing really does take too long to charge._

_It's a problem we're working on. _Aimée sent apologetically. _Give us some time._

_Take your time. _Saya reassured her daughter. _It's not a major concern for the moment._

_Thank you, Mama._

Saya sent her a mental pat on the head, causing amusement to ripple through her various daughter Queens even as Aimée's embarrassment suffused the Swarmmind.

The red Queen allowed herself a small smile at this little distraction, even as she issued orders to the by now unified Swarmfleet.

_All ships not pursuing stragglers are to advance on Othrys. We have a 'titan' to kill._

Despite everything, Cronus' flagship still hugged the orbit of his throne world surrounded by a handful of his ships who continued to loyally fight to defend him.

_Destroy his escorts. _Saya commanded. _But only disable his ship. I want him alive. For now._

Heeding his words, thousands of ships opened fire on the last of Cronus' fleets. Under such a barrage the dozen odd Ha'tak and Shel'tak were reduced to debris in seconds. Yet, even as a storm of deadly exotic particles raged all around it, Cronus' flagship remained relatively unscathed. Instead of the relentless battering his other ships were subjected to, his Ha'tak was hit only by a series of precise shots of polarion plasma that stripped his shields and disabled his key systems. It had been rendered inert but unlike its peers, it was still intact.

_Hail the snake._

Seconds later, Cronus' face appeared on the viewscreen directly in front of the two Swarm Queens in the bridge aboard the _Elizabeth_. He look quite battered, the fur cloak and the greek style armor of his costume was stained black in places by soot and there was a gash along his forehead that weeped blood.

"Hello, Cronus," Diva greeted in a maliciously sweet voice. "Ready to die?"

"If that is my fate then I embrace it."

"Oh it is, I assure you." Saya told him, her eyes glowing crimson. "There is no escape for you. Not after killing my Chevalier. Death is your just desserts."

"Just?" The Goa'uld scoffed. "There is nothing just about the immense death and destruction you've caused in this war."

"Death and destruction are inevitable in war." Saya retorted, uneasy with where this was going. This was supposed to be her taunting the snake one last time before they killed him, them delivering him one final humiliation. But things did not seem to be shaping up that way.

"Of course it is," Cronus agreed easily. "But that does not change the fact that you've won no great moral victory this day, _Chiropteran_! All you've done is proven that you're as much a petty warlord as we Goa'uld."

"I'm nothing like you!" Saya roared defensively. "_**All ships fire! Kill him! Now!**_"

Cronus burst into a laugh. His eyes glowing gold, he laughed uproariously even as explosions ripped through the Pel'tak of his ship. As the flames around him threatened to consume him, he turned to level one last glare at the Swarm Queens, no, at Saya herself.

"You just proved my point, girl." The System Lord said as the screen was awash in the bright orange glow of an explosion before blanking out entirely as the signal was lost.

"Haji," Saya said as she turned away from the viewscreen to face her old friend who had been silently standing behind her command throne the whole time. "Was Cronus correct?"

Saya felt a burst of irritation from Diva that she was asking this of her Chevalier instead of her, but the red Queen already knew what her sister would say. To her more Chiropteran minded twin, morality was not a major consideration, if at all. With that in mind, Saya chose to seek out the opinion of the one person who, like her, struggled with his humanity.

"That Saya, is something you need to decide for yourself." Her Chevalier told her rather unhelpfully.

"What's your opinion then?" She pressed.

"There is some truth in the Goa'uld's statement."

Saya frowned even as she realized he was right.

"Saya, would you indulge me and answer a question?"

"Of course."

"Are you satisfied?"

She considered it for a moment, mulling over what both Cronus and Haji had both said.

"This is only the beginning of this war," she said finally. "It'll be a long war. And I think I might have gotten off to the wrong start."

Diva opened her mouth to protest but Saya shushed her with a look and continued.

"I shouldn't have let my emotions rule my actions so much," she said with a self-deprecating smile. "It turned out alright in the end, but doing so led us to make some rather reckless moves. I need to avoid that in the future."

Haji nodded in satisfaction.

* * *

**And done! **

**I hoped liked you Saya's revenge and how Cronus got a final jab in even as he died. I thought it would be fitting.**

**Beyond that there's not much to say, so till next time ciao!**


	18. New Fronts

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 14: New Fronts**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Public execution**

As it had for millennia, the venerable Hasara space station hovered in the void of deep space far from the domains of the various System Lords who used it as their meeting place. Today, despite the great civil war which swept through the Empire as its members all fought to claim the title of Supreme System Lord, the High Council of System Lords had convened on the ancient station to discuss a matter of serious importance to the Empire.

Thus Nimue found herself seated on her throne in the Council Chamber idly adjusting the skirts of her sleeveless long burgundy mermaid dress as she tuned out Apophis, Ba'al and Heru'ur taking turns begging the Council for assistance against the Chiropterans tearing their domains apart. They had been at it for the better part of fifteen minutes, waxing eloquent in turn about their losses and the brave stands they made against the seemingly unstoppable foe.

"**Enough!**" Nimue shouted at long last in the booming voice all Goa'uld were capable of using, tired of their whining. "**We **_**all **_**know about your losses. Quite a few of us have gained from them. So stop wasting our time. Let's just get down to the vote shall we?**"

The rest of the Council exchanged looks, unsettled by Nimue's outburst but nevertheless nodded.

"Very well," Morrigan, the current head of the Council, said upon seeing this. Her host was a striking redhead with a curvaceous body that she showed up in a provocative dress made of crow feathers. "Then let's vote. I say we support our peers. It is clear that these Chiropterans are a threat to all of us."

"I vote yes as well," Nirriti hissed seductively with the voice of the fair skinned North Indian woman who was her host.

"Yes," the solidly built African man that was Olokun said simply.

"I will fight with them," Kali, in possession of a veiled dark skinned South Indian woman, said in a quiet whisper.

"Yes, I'll fight," said Camulus the Celt almost lazily.

"Yes as well," Svarog with the striking green face paint cast his vote.

"Yes," Bastet added in the rich dulcet tones of her host's Mediterranean accent.

It was Yu's turn to vote and he shot a look across the Council Chamber at Nimue, who nodded in encouragement. They had discussed their vote long before the matter was put before the Council. Not that the decision required much discussion at all.

"No," Yu said without preamble the moment he saw his ancient ally's nod.

This got both him and Nimue sharp looks from the other Councilors. If he voted no, then it was a foregone conclusion how she would vote as well.

"No," Nimue cast her vote to no one's surprise.

"Nimue, Yu," Svarog said in as diplomatic a voice as the usually belligerent System Lord could manage. "You do realize that you are defying the unanimous decision of the Council?"

"Are we not members of the Council?" Nimue shot back sharply. "How is it unanimous when we both dissent?"

"Yet everyone else agreed," Morrigan reminded her. "Dissenting in the face of such an overwhelming majority is potential grounds from expulsion from the Empire. Perhaps you've both forgotten that in your old age?"

_A dig at their age? Really!? Is that all Morrigan could come up with?_

"Exiles of the Empire?" Yu scoffed. "Have we not been treated as exiles ever since Ra became Supreme System Lord?"

"Indeed," Nimue agreed as she stood from her throne. "Becoming exiles, Morrigan, is to us a distinction without a difference. It is a threat as empty as this 'empire's' future."

This caused an uproar among the gathered System Lords who murmured disgruntledly at her words, but the Ascended Goa'uld ignored them and continued.

"But I'll save you lot the trouble of another vote. Rather than be expelled, I'll leave of my own accord. From this moment forth, my domain formally secedes from the Goa'uld Empire."

Her declaration was met by stunned silence as the System Lords struggled to comprehend one of their number actually _voluntarily _leaving the Empire.

Nimue allowed herself a moment to admire and memorize the astonished looks on the faces on the System Lords that for centuries she'd called her peers, before with a dramatic swirl of her skirts she turned to the Council Chamber's entrance and began walking out.

Behind her, Yu stood as well.

"I secede as well," her long standing ally said as he marched to join her. "It is time we built a _proper _Empire."

They left a room still shocked into silence, their loyal lo'taur attendants following dutifully behind them. They exchanged no words, there was nothing to say. Not here in what had become hostile territory. They had to make haste to leave before the System Lords gathered their wits and ordered their forces to seize them. Both she and Yu had prepared for that possibility but it was still an possibility neither wanted to come to pass and hoped that the ancient neutrality of Hasara would hold at least until they managed to make their escape.

They reached a fork in the hallway and the two allies exchanged nods of understanding as they separated, heading in different directions to their own waiting ships.

_With this the die is cast, _Nimue thought as she stepped through the airlock and onboard her Tel'tak. _With this things should be easier for everyone. The Swarm Queens can draw a line between me and the Goa'uld Empire and I, while I'll be free to openly declare our alliance. _

"My lady, we're entering hyperspace shortly." Her lo'taur, a young brunette with a passing resemblance to Ganos, informed her from her place at the ship's controls.

Nimue nodded and settled on the recliner that served as her command throne on the ship.

_With this the lines in this war has shifted completely. _The former System Lord noted. _I wonder how the galaxy will take this development._

* * *

Onboard one of their many deep space outposts, the Hive Queens Aimée and Anastasie walked down a broad hallway alongside their mothers, Saya and Diva. The hallway doubled as an observation deck, and the side facing the void had been constructed out of a transparent material that Anastasie had coined transparisteel after reading about a similar material in the fictional _Star Wars_ universe. Through the window this offered, the four Queens looked out on a series of large drydocks wherein sat a number of ships in various stages of construction.

"Mamas, do we really need to continue our current rate of ship production?" Anastasie asked. "Even with our recent major victory over the Goa'uld?"

"We must," Saya replied with a frown. "That was only one battle. The war continues and we have many more battles to fight."

"I understand, but..." Aimée trailed off while biting her lower lip nervously.

"But what?" Diva asked, concerned.

"It's just that we can't keep growing our fleets at the rate we're doing for much longer." Aimée said after taking a fortifying breath. "We'll be reaching the upper limits of the Swarm's psychic load for Pilots soon. If we want to keep building more ships we'll need more Hives and more Queens."

"We can't do that," Diva informed them with a frustrated sigh. "We can't produce new Hive Queens in such a chaotic galaxy, it would not be safe for them or their new Hives."

"So we build to our cap and stop." Anastasie concluded. "That's the plan?"

"You forget we'll also need to keep production going to make up for any losses."

"Both of you are correct, girls." Saya informed them. "If need be we will begin production of Pilot-less ships, but that's a last resort."

Aimée and Anastasie nodded and allowed their mothers to walk ahead a bit, before turning to each other and sharing a concerned look.

_This war just keeps growing more and more intense. Will this really be enough? _Anastasie sent to her twin through their private twin bond.

_I know Ana, but Mama Diva and Mama Saya are in agreement which means-_

_That the Swarm is in agreement as well. I know that, but-_

_You're worried. I know. I am too but we can't defy the will of the Swarm._

Anastasie bit her lower lip but hesitant nodded.

_I just hope that his will prove enough to win this war._

_So do I sister, so do I._

* * *

Ugarit was a lush oceanic world rich with a number of small continents and innumerable islands whose fertile soils were home to great cities. Cities founded centuries ago and to this day were under the domination of the Goa'uld System Lord Ba'al. This world, in fact, had once been his throne world though as time passed and his holdings shifted further spinward he was forced to hand control of Ugarit over to one of his favored Underlords and shift his capital elsewhere. Despite this, the planet with its large population, sizable mineral deposits and the high levels of industrialization remained a core world of Ba'al's domain.

This meant that, if everything was normal, there would be a substantial garrison fleet in orbit of Ugarit at all times to deter invaders. However, the times were far from normal. Ba'al, and the Goa'uld Empire as a whole, had found itself simultaneously caught in a massive civil war and in a conflict with the powerful Chiropteran race. This had stretched Ba'al's fleets greatly, a problem only further exacerbated by his recent losses to the ancient race. This meant that over the course of the war, Ugarit's garrison fleet had steadily shrunk until the point today where it was left undefended by any ships and utterly reliant on help from the nearest fleet base days away by hyperspace.

It was in light of this weakness that a Chiropteran army under Rek'tor, Chevalier of the Hive Queen Amelia, had attacked the world in a lightning raid to assassinate its Underlord, devastate its infrastructure and retreat back through the Chappa'ai from whence they came before Ba'al's relief fleet could arrive.

Thus it was that Rek'tor found himself sneaking behind a group of entrenched Jaffa that were pinning down an a pack of Warriors under his command using the invisibility he retained from his Ree'tou heritage.

_These Jaffa are using a lot of weapons that were formerly reserved for elite units, like power armor and various heavy weapons. _He noted as he scuttled through the midst of the Goa'uld's slave warriors around him as he got into the position he wanted. _It seems the saying that war is the mother of invention has some merit. The Goa'uld would never have enhanced their armies like this if they hadn't found themselves facing a total war._

Having moved to where he wanted, he took a moment to confirm his targets' positions before using his ability as a Chevalier to drop his invisibility.

To an outside observer, he seemed to appear out of nowhere right in the middle of the makeshift bunker the Jaffa had created out of sandbags and wooden crates before immediately launching into a burst of deadly violence. Lashing out with his tail he impaled the warrior manning the medium staff cannon that the Jaffa had been using to fend off the Warriors down the street. At the same time, he used his mantid claws to bisect a pair of Jaffa directly in front of him while he shot the last man directly in the head with the pair of plasma pistols in his humanoid hands. It was all over in less than a minute.

_Even with their new toys though, _Rek'tor thought as he tossed the body impaled on his tail into the air where it proceeded to crash against the side of a stone building and become a bloody smear. _These Jaffa are still no match for the Swarm._

Taking a breather, he watched as his Warriors advanced up the street to his position cautiously sweeping their surroundings for hidden hostiles and traps as they moved.

Their caution reminded him of why they were only launching a raid and not occupying the world outright.

_If only our Hive still had a proper fleet. _He lamented.

He realized though that his sadness was driven in large part by his own longing to once more command a fleet into battle. The experience, despite his ultimate defeat, had been exhilarating and he wished to have the chance to feel the rush of such again soon. In the meantime though, he and his Hive were more than ready to do their share of serving the Swarm's justice upon the Goa'uld.

_And that'll be enough. For now._

* * *

While Rek'tor was leading the advance towards the local Underlord's palace, Surefoot had elected to secure their primary route onto and later off this world, the Chappa'ai. A task she had simplified by transforming the whole area around the ancient device into a sea of flames with her pyromancy, leaving only enough space clear for the stream of Warriors and other equipment that her Hive continued to send through it.

This tactic was highly effective since her flames had immolated whole columns of Jaffa that had attempted to counterattack and reclaim the Chappa'ai. Even now, it kept any would be attackers far away from the device and the staging area she'd set up around it. It did create one problem though. Without any attackers, she was left bored out of her mind!

She had thus been reduced to pacing back and forth in her true form, looking very much akin to some monstrous knight from Hell. Her entire body was covered in chitinous armor plates, including her head where they had formed into something that resembled a demonic looking helm. A pair of massive wings grew out from between her human shoulders that she kept tightly folded to keep out of the way and she had a pair of spikes growing out of her wrists that at her mental command she could extend into deadly lances.

"Where are the enemies?" She bemoaned as she extended and retracted her wrist lances as she paced. "Surely, that aren't scared off by a little fire."

Her mood lifted however as suddenly the sound of something streaking through the air caught her attention. Turning she saw a squadron of Death Gliders flying towards her position. Immediately, a pair of her fighters vectored in to intercept and a trio of fighters in their robot modes that had been idly on the ground jumped into the air to join in.

"Oh no, you don't!" Surefoot shouted as she stamped her front right hoof in annoyance. "These are mine!"

With a wave of her hand, the centauroid Chevalier sent a series of fireballs shooting out of the surrounding conflagration at the incoming Gliders. The startled Jaffa pilots attempt evasive maneuvers, but Surefoot was having none of it and mentally guided the fireballs as they homed in on them with unerring precision.

Smiling proudly, she watched as one by one the Goa'uld fighters were consumed by her flames.

That smiled faded seconds later though when she realized that was the end of the attack.

"What!? That's it?" Surefoot shouted incredulously. "Are the Jaffa on this world really cowards!?"

Of course she received no response, her Warriors had long since learned not to respond when their Chevalier was complaining like this. It got them nowhere beyond her ranting aimlessly even more.

Thus Surefoot was met with a deafening silence.

Sighing in disappointment, she returned to pacing and idly playing with her lances.

_I really hope things get more interesting soon or I think I might just die of boredom._

* * *

A couple hours later, Rek'tor stood in the reception hall of the recently secured Underlord's palace as he awaited his sister's presence. He didn't need to wait long before Surefoot, still in her true form as was wise whilst still in just recently secured territory, blurred to the foot of the steps that led up into the building.

"Extravagant isn't it?" He commented, earning a shocked nod from his fellow Chevalier as she trotted up to his side.

"Yeah, there's gold everywhere!" His little sister said, incredulously. "And is it true that the whole city around it is just to house the servants that staff it?"

"That's what the prisoners say."

"Speaking of prisoners."

Rek'tor nodded and gestured for his sister to follow.

"I'm holding the local Underlord inside the throne room alongside his court."

Surefoot nodded, while still looking around with awed disgust at the walls of marble lined with reliefs glorifying the Underlord, his overlord Ba'al and the Goa'uld as a whole.

After a surprisingly long walk, the two Chevaliers entered a room that was literally lined with walls of gold. A sight that Rek'tor noted had Surefoot shaking her head in disbelief.

_There is extravagance and there's _this_. This is insane. _

_I agree. But we can discuss it later, right now we have a false god to deal with._

His sister nodded and the two Chevaliers walked up side by side to the man wearing a golden helm that had two elaborate decorated horns curving back from his forehead. Even held in place with a pair of Warriors pressing down on his shoulder, the Goa'uld glared at them with all the arrogant swagger characteristic of his kind.

"Release me, I am Attar, god of this world! Release me now or face my wrath."

"That's rich coming from a man at our mercy." Surefoot said with a chuckle.

"You know nothing you fool." Attar shot back. "My lord Ba'al will rain ruin upon you if you dare hurt a hair on my head. Free me now and I might speak well on your behalf when he comes to deliver his justice upon you for this travesty."

"Changing tack already?" Rek'tor noticed with amusement.

The Goa'uld looked ready to say some more, but Surefoot cut him off. "I'm bored of his rambling already. Can I finish this?"

"Go right ahead, my sister," Rek'tor said with a gracious bow.

Nodding her thanks, she snapped her fingers and the Warriors released the snake. He immediately jumped to his feet but before he could do anything else, Surefoot snapped her fingers again and conjured a pillar of fire that promptly consumed him.

His screams as he burned alive echoed throughout the large room and brought horrified looks to the dying man's harem, lo'taur attendants and the survivors of his personal guard that the Chiropterans had gathered to watch the execution.

_Huh, not all of them look upset. _Surefoot sent him as she surveyed the audience.

_We'll single those who are happy he's dead for a follow up later. _Rek'tor sent back distractedly. He was too busy imagining Heru'ur in the dying man's place as he thought back with bitterness over his Hive's losses and the annihilation of his Ree'tou kin on Papilion.

He however acknowledged that this was a fine start to their revenge.

* * *

**And done!**

**The galaxy has been fundamentally changed by this chapter. The Chiropteran and Goa'uld are now entering a full blown total war. Nimue and Yu have seceded from the Empire and struck off on their own. Both are major developments that will majorly impact things from here on out. Though admittedly more the latter than the former, since from the Chiropteran POV the war has been a total war since the very beginning. That said, how do you guys think all these changes affect things? **

**Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out.**

**One last thing before I sign off. I'd like to thank Dominus1389 for pointing out a plot point that needed a little expansion in their review a couple chapters back. I made the necessary edits last chapter but forgot to credit them so I'm belatedly doing so now. Thanks!**

**I hope to see you in the next chapter. Till then, ciao!**


	19. Interlude: The Albion Stellar Empire II

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: The Albion Stellar Empire - Part 2**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi everyone! It's me Hermione again for more of The Galaticpolitics Blog.

Today, I'll be continuing my observations of my friend Nimue's Albion Stellar Empire. Now, I got a lot of mail, messages, comments, etc. which pointed out that my last entry on the topic was incomplete. I _know _that! Christ, it's like you guys think I'm an idiot or something. I just couldn't fit it all into one post alright? I know the most about Albion and so I decided to split it when the first post started getting _way _too long.

And on a related note, I also got some complaints about inconsistent formatting for my posts. Deal with it! I'm sorry to tell you this but I do this blog as my _not for profit hobby_! I'm not a professional, so if you're looking for professional quality presentation then you're looking in the wrong place. Heck, I barely know how to operate the apps I use to upload these posts. If Nimue didn't occasionally order one of her IT technicians to help me, I'd be completely lost.

Thanks Nim!

That and Bart, my cousin, helps too.

There you go I've given you a mention. Hope you're satisfied, you brat!

But that's enough of my complaining. Without further ado, let's get down to it

**The Albion Stellar Empire - Part 2**

Secession from the Goa'uld Empire

The Albion Stellar Empire is one of the successor states of the Goa'uld Empire. It was born as a result of the refusal by Nimue to follow along with the decision made by the Empire's High Council of System Lords to declare war on the Chiropterans. Nimue, and her long standing ally Yu, refused to be dragged into a unjust and likely losing war. In response, the Council threatened them with expulsion and even exile, arguably the most damning punishment that the Council could levy against them as it was tantamount to making them enemies of the whole Empire.

Refusing to be intimidated, Nimue, and again in conjunction with Yu, decided to instead secede from the Council. By this action, she declared her domain an independent sovereign state, effectively founding the Albion Stellar Empire.

Rise to a great power

Nimue's domain had been one of the most powerful feudal fiefdoms of the Goa'uld Empire for thousands of years. A situation that was the case at least since the time of the First Anubian War, but many would argue for a long time before that. Regardless of when you would consider its rise to a major power within the Empire, there is little doubt that Nimue was one of its most powerful System Lords for millennia.

The Albion Stellar Empire therefore began from a position of strength and was poised for greatness. However, its rise to becoming one of the galaxy's superpowers would not be an easy one … _To see more click here_

* * *

**Short and sweet.**

**Unlike other Galacticpolitics interludes this really is just a summary of the latest state of things and has very little foreshadowing. Sorry about that, but I couldn't figure out how to foreshadow what's coming without spoiling too much, so settled with the less is more approach. Hope you guys don't mind.**

**As always, I hope to see you all next chapter. Till then, peace out.**


	20. Interlude: The Celestial Jade Empire

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: The Celestial Jade Empire**

**Beta:**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi guys!

Nothing for me to complain about this time, so let's just get started

Building off of where we left off last post, today we'll take a look at another of the Goa'uld successor states created by the Chiropteran-Goa'uld War.

**The Celestial Jade Empire**

Another of the successor states of the Goa'uld Empire, the Jade Empire under the former Goa'uld System Lord Yu is often overlooked and regarded merely as a junior partner of the Albion Stellar Empire. While there might some truth to this in terms of their external affairs, the Jade Empire is very much its own independent nation.

As Nimue once explained to me, Yu is in truth deliberately fostering this impression as part of an effort to downplay his own abilities and to deflect the attention of the galaxy somewhat away from him and his Empire and onto Nimue instead. A state of affairs that leaves my friend quite exasperated with her old friend. Though in all fairness, I don't think she has any right to complain considering she's done precious little to correct this perception.

Secession from the Goa'uld Empire

As stated above the Celestial Jade Empire is one of the successor states of the Goa'uld Empire. It was born in response to Yu's refusal to declare war on the Chiropterans alongside the rest of the Empire … _To see more click here_

Politics

The Jade Empire is a strange beast politically. It is a nation which is politically dominated by Jaffa but holds large vestigial aspects of the Goa'uld aristocracy that it inherited from its time as part of the Goa'uld Empire, though admittedly the remaining Goa'uld have been reduced to small single world, or even smaller, fiefs.

This strange mix is surprisingly successful, fostering a harmonious society that avoided many of the pitfalls of the other Jaffa dominated polities … _To see more click here_

* * *

**And another short one.**

**Don't worry, there'll be a long interlude coming next and then we'll be getting right back into the main story so hold your horses folks.**

**Hope to see you there. Till then, ciao!**


	21. I:Reestablishing contact with the Elders

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: Re-establishing contact with the Elders**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Colonel Jack O'Neill of Stargate Command led his team as they stepped out of the wormhole of the Stargate onto the world of P8J-821 and took a good look at his surroundings.

"Jacob, you sure the Chiropterans are really here?" Jack asked gesturing to the guest his team was escorting for the duration of his mission, Jacob Carter, his 2IC Major Carter's father and the host of the Tok'ra Selmak. "'Cause this place looks uninhabited to me."

Jack was pretty confident in his statement, what with everything for miles looking like nothing more than a blasted barren plain.

"We can't be completely sure," Jacob replied as he too surveyed the area. "But all the signs indicate they had a presence here at least somewhat recently."

"So the Tok'ra say," Jack said with a sigh. "I just hope this isn't another wild goose chase."

That they'd had enough of those went unsaid. The SGC and their Tok'ra allies had been looking to establish formal relations with the race that was kicking Goa'uld ass across the galaxy for months now but hadn't been able to find them.

They'd started by heading to Cimmeria where they'd last run into the mysterious race, but the communications array there only connected to the Asgard who weren't helpful at all.

'_They'll contact us in time?' _O'Neill thought with a annoyed shake of his head. _Couldn't they have given us something useful at least?_

"I'm getting tired of failure too," Jacob shot back. "But this really is the last solid lead we have left. If our sources are right, this is the last world the Tok'ra think is a likely Chiropteran holding, if this doesn't pan out then they'll be reduced to chasing rumors."

They'd tried to dial the Swarm's Hive worlds of course, but the Chiropterans had shut down all attempts for the gates to connect somehow. A feat that forced the SGC and Tok'ra to try and hunt down their secret bases instead, in the hopes they wouldn't be so unwelcoming there if for no other reason than to maintain the secrecy of their presence on those worlds.

"I'm sure we'll find something, dad," Carter reassured her father. "Surely Tok'ra intelligence can't be completely off the mark?"

"It wouldn't be the first time spooks screwed up." Jack said with a shake of his head.

"Even if they are, since we're here it wouldn't hurt to take a look around would it?" Daniel offered diplomatically.

"Fine, I got it. Stop whining." Jack said with a sigh. "Let's just set up a base camp and start looking."

He was met with agreement with everyone and the team got to work.

* * *

It was a day later and the sun was setting when SG 1 settled down in newly established base camp near the Gate for dinner. After having spent the previous day setting up their base camp, they had only gotten around to searching for signs of habitation today and unfortunately had found nothing.

With no results even a whole day of hard work, everyone was looking a little disheartened and bedraggled, but no one complained. Not even Jack had cracked any jokes about the futility of their mission her like Daniel had suspected he would.

_Guess even Jack is too exhausted to joke around. _Daniel thought as he watched his friend past around some hot coffee.

"Thanks Jack," Daniel said with a grateful smile as he took the cup of caffeine goodness offered to him.

Jack just grunted in acknowledgement, a sure sign of how tired he was. A fact that had the archaeologist frowning in slight concern.

_He shouldn't be _this _tired. _Daniel thought worriedly as he took a sip from his drink. _Is his age starting to catch up on him?_

"Jack, you okay?" The scholar asked his friend.

"Yeah, just a little tired." Jack said with a yawn "Lugging around most of our gear today because I drew the short straw last night was a killer."

_Oh yeah! We did agree to that, didn't we? _

The men having played a little cards last night, which Jack had lost and ended up saddled with the 'honor' of carrying a good chunk of the non-essential gear that they usually split between them.

_Still… I'm pretty sure Jack would have managed just fine even with the extra load just a couple years ago._

"I did volunteer to split the load, O'Neill." Teal'c reminded the man.

"I now ya did, buddy," O'Neill said with his usual cheer. "But a bet's a bet."

Teal'c nodded in understanding, though from the look in his eyes Daniel could tell he shared his concern for their friend's health.

"You two are worrying too much," Jacob said with a chuckle. "Jack is just hamming it up. He's not _that _old."

Sam didn't seem to share her father's nonchalance on the matter as she shot Daniel and Teal'c a sharp look.

_Message received, Sam. _Daniel thought even as he nodded back at this fellow scientist. _We'll make sure Jack doesn't overexert himself tomorrow._

Their worries about Jack's weariness was put on hold when Teal'c suddenly stiffened. He stayed frozen for a moment, before in a blur of motion he reached for his Staff Weapon, jumped to his feet and proceeded to level it at open air. The rest of SG 1, and Jacob, followed his lead with a delay of only seconds as they too stood with their weapons raised and pointing out into the wilderness around their camp.

"Teal'c," Jack asked in a whisper. "What is-"

He was cut off by a strange chuckle that had Daniel joining in pointing his P90 at the empty air in front of their Jaffa friend alongside Jack. Air that shimmered for a brief moment before as if out of thin air, there suddenly stood a squad of cybernetically enhanced muscular humanoids that matched the Tok'ra's description of Chiropteran Warriors led by a strange insectoid creature.

_They have personal cloaking devices. _The archaeologist realized even as a wave of shimmering spread out all around them as more and more Chiropterans decloaked.

"They have us surrounded." Sam reported, nervously.

_That's not a good sign. _Daniel realized. _It's not what you do when you're trying to be friendly._

"Impressive instincts, Teal'c of Chulak." The insectoid praised.

"I've had plenty of time to hone them when fighting Reetou." Teal'c rejoined.

Daniel blinked at this as he took a look at the creature. It was greatly changed, of course, what with being bipedal, its wings, scorpion's tail and mantid claws, but underneath all that it did resemble a member of the insect-like species.

"You would have had to in order to survive a fight with one of my former kin."

"Indeed," Teal'c responded tightly, probably recalling all the comrades he'd lost in battles with the Reetou.

Seeing the tension, Jack stepped in.

"Okay, so you Bu-"

"Greetings," Daniel cut him off before he called the Chiropterans by the rather insulting nickname of 'Bug-Bats' that he'd coined for them. "I'm Daniel Jackson and this is my team. You know Teal'c already."

Both the insectoid Chiropteran and Teal'c exchanged terse nods.

"The man over to his right is Colonel Jack O'Neill, our team leader."

Jack grunted, probably unhappy that he hadn't gotten a chance to provoke the aliens and use it to gauge their friendliness. For all that Daniel personally found the tactic unprofessional, he had come to admit that it'd proven its worth on more than one occasion. Still, it was probably not a good idea to annoy the representatives of the elder race they were hoping to make an alliance with.

"The woman behind me is Major Samantha Carter, our team's resident scientist."

"Hello," Sam said tersely, her gun still raised and wary of things turning violent.

"And the gentleman in the robes is Jacob Carter and his symbiote, Selmak. They are representatives of the Tok'ra High Council."

"Good to meet you." Jacob said before he dipped his head and swapped control with Selmak. "**Well met.**"

"What illustrious guests I have tonight," the former Reetou said with a chuckle before sketching a bow. "My name is Rek'tor, Chevalier of the Hive Queen Amelia. May I inquire why you are here on this world?"

"We're here on a mission to establish formal relations with your people." Daniel informed him. "Would it possible to arrange a meeting with your leaders."

"Most certainly." Rek'tor nodded. "That is what my Queens desire as well. Please follow me."

Turning he began walking and after exchanging quick looks SG 1 and Jacob followed, though not before sending the odd longing look at their half-eaten dinner.

Daniel was too diplomatic to say it, but he was pretty sure the Chiropterans had made their appearance when they did with the specific intent to deprive them of a good meal. A thought that made the archaeologist just a little miffed at them.

He set the feeling aside though, forming an alliance with the Chiropterans was too important to ruin over something as petty as a skipped meal. Even if he was starving.

* * *

Daniel's hunger was all but forgotten however as he walked down the corridors of the ship that the Chiropterans had brought them to, fascinated by the decidedly odd mix of what his vague memories of the few modules he'd taken on architectural history insisted was late 19th and early 20th century French decor and decidedly more alien patterns that strangely reminded him of insects. He noted however that he wasn't the only one mesmerized by the ship. Everyone was looking around with varying degrees of fascination but none of them said anything. A clear indication that they were going to leave the diplomacy to him, as usual.

"I know it's my job, but guys this is getting old. You guys can help a little, right?" Daniel grumbled goodnaturedly.

"And which one of us is the archaeologist, linguist and anthropologist who's always the first one to remind us that we should reach out to and interact with the people we come across?"

_Touché, Jack._ Daniel thought, but he wasn't yet willing to give up the fight. "So why exactly do **I** need _you_ guys then?"

"I'm the one who shoots things and stands around looking vaguely menacing." Jack shrugs back. "Carter's the smart one who pulls our asses out of the fire when things invariably go wrong with the power of her genius. And Teal'c's the face that sells it all. Obviously."

"I am also capable of performing a great deal of the other functions you have just listed, O'Neill." Teal'c replied, then paused.

"Except for the saving of our posteriors when circumstances go awry with the brilliance of my mind." He amended, nodding to Sam.

A beat passed, then all four members bit down their laughter, Jacob rolling his eyes but still saying nothing. Daniel eyed their chitinous new acquaintances and even they looked… entertained. It was hard to read their body language though and he couldn't be sure.

"Yo Rek'tor was it," Jack asked suddenly, receiving a nod in confirmation that he got the name correct. "So were you watching the whole time since we got to the planet?"

"We were," the Chevalier confirmed. "The Swarm took the time since we detected you exiting the gate to decide which pair of Queens you would meet. Ultimately, that honor was awarded to my Queens, Amelia and Pamela."

"Those names are sounding surprisingly human." Jack commented suspiciously.

Rek'tor's mandibles shifted together in an unnerving way that Daniel guessed passed for a smirk.

Unsettled by the look the insectoid Chiropteran now sported, Daniel decided to change the topic.

"What do you mean by Queens?"

"As you might have already known, we Chiropterans are a eusocial race. With each of our hives led by twin Queens."

"Where do you fit into your race's hierarchy then?"

"I am a Chevalier," Rek'tor said with pride. "A praetorian guard, general and elite servant to my Queens."

"And the Reetou kin you mentioned earlier?"

"I, like all, Chevaliers was reborn." The Chiropteran said sounding reverent. "Through the mutagenic blood of my mother Queen I was converted from my life as a Reetou into her service as one of her chosen."

This unsettled the team but they maintained their professionalism and did their best to betray nothing of their unease. As disturbing as they sounded, it wasn't their place to find fault in another race's way of doing things. At least not without learning the full context.

"You accepted this 'conversion' willingly?"

"Yes, Colonel O'Neill." Rek'tor assured him. "Unless in the most dire of circumstances, no Queen would convert the unwilling."

The team breathed a sigh of relief at that. Though Daniel could tell they all held reservations about the caveat the Chevalier had provided. What exactly did the Chiropterans consider 'the most dire of circumstances'?

It probably wasn't a good idea at least for the moment to press the matter, so Daniel tried to deepen his understanding of the enigmatic race from a slightly different angle.

"Are all Chiropterans formerly from other races?"

"No, of course not," Rek'tor said with a chuckle. "The majority of our kind are birthed by our Broodmothers and to a lesser degree by the Queens. However, the Queens occasionally convert individuals from other races usually into Chevaliers."

"Choosing exceptional beings to enhance their Hives' capabilities?"

"Precisely."

"Yo Rek'tor," Jack cut in. "Why are we meeting your Queens in particular? You said your Swarm debated who to be their representative. So why them?"

"Because they have the most recent experience interacting with Earthlings."

"When was this?" Jack asked puzzled. "Because as far as we know the only time that anyone from Earth met a Chiropteran was back on Cimmeria and he definitely wasn't a Queen."

"Louis was indeed no Queen." Rek'tor agreed. "He like me was a Chevalier."

Daniel was about to question what their relationship was when Rek'tor came to a stop in front of a set of double doors that looked like, but probably wasn't, made of oak.

"This is the bridge and my Queens await us within," the Chevalier informed them. "Please save any further questions for them. They will undoubtedly be able to answer far better than I could."

The team nodded.

"Then if you would follow me," Rek'tor said as the door opened automatically and he led the way in.

The bridge continued the odd mix of styles that permeated the whole ship and added on a layer of high technology as a series of organic looking consoles were scattered throughout the large room. That however did not detract Daniel's attention from its main attraction for long. Cuddling together in a love seat at the center of the room were two twelve year old identical twin girls with long greenish-blue hair. The only difference between the two children being that the one on the right had red eyes while the girl on the left had blue eyes. Even their elaborate long sleeved floor length dresses were identical.

Flanked by a large group of Chiropterans both of the variety they were familiar in addition to a smaller child-sized version and surprisingly enough a lone centaur seemingly straight out of Greek myth, there was little doubt that as to who these twins were.

_These must be Rek'tor's Queens. _Daniel thought to himself even as he heard Sam's stifled gasp.

A quick look revealed that she wasn't the only one surprised by the Queens' appearance, just the most obvious about it.

_Considering their ability to shapeshift…. Did the Queens choose this form just to disconcert us? If so, it's working…_

"Greetings SG 1, Jacob Carter and Selmak of the Tok'ra." The red eyed twin greeted. "I am Amelia and the beautiful girl sitting next to me is my twin, Pamela."

Everyone quickly returned the greeting in their own way.

"With that out of the way. Dr. Jackson, tell me why the Swarm should even be bother talking with the Tau'ri?" Amelia said jumping straight into the negotiations.

Daniel meanwhile was preparing to make his case for why the Chiropterans should open ties with Earth, but Pamela picked up where her twin left off before she could.

"We can understand the benefits of establishing relations with the Tok'ra and will be glad to begin more formal negotiations after this. But we are uncertain of doing so with the people of Earth." The blue eyed Queen said with a nod to Jacob.

"**The Tok'ra appreciates this opportunity, your Majesty.**" Selmak said with a bow.

"We have a common enemy." Daniel said quickly, fearful of being cut off once more.

Not that his hasty argument impressed the Queens. It had however given an opening for him to continue.

"You would be surprised what we can accomplish," Daniel insisted. "We did manage to kill Ra."

The two Queens looked at each other, seemingly conferring in silence.

After a moment, the Queens began speaking in eerie unison.

"**The Swarm agrees to the establishment of diplomatic relations with both the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra**."

Daniel was surprised at how quickly things are going.

_There's no way they made the decision just like that. That can only mean they made their decision beforehand and everything so far was merely political theater. But for who?_

"Details will be discussed at a later date." Amelia said, drawing the diplomat away from his thoughts.

Pamela waved and immediately one of the child sized Chiropterans skittered over to Jacob and handed him a device.

"This is a specially prepared subspace communicator that the Swarm will use to contact your High Council to arrange for further talks."

"As for the Tau'ri," the red eyed Queen said eying SG 1 with a, dare he say it, mischievous smile. "The Swarm will be in touch."

"And how will you do this?" Daniel asked, as he felt a sinking feeling grow in his stomach.

The Queens ignored him and amid his protests had the team escorted out of their ship.

* * *

Daniel and the rest of SG 1 stood around the gate with a squad of Chiropterans looking on feeling discouraged. It had been his job to secure an alliance for Earth, but it seemed that he'd failed.

"Sorry guys, it's all my fault."

"It wasn't your fault Daniel," Jack reassured him. "The Chiropterans were just playing with us."

"Jack's right, Daniel." Jacob said patting him on the shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I promise to keep the SGC in the loop as much as possible in regards to the Tok'ra's communications with the Chiropterans."

"**We will also do our best to convince them to open formal relations with you.**" Selmak added.

As the wormhole of the gate stabilized, Daniel just nodded.

"Thanks guys," the archaeologist said sincerely his mood slightly lighter.

* * *

A week after their return from their failed mission to P8J-821, Teal'c sat with the rest of his comrades, his brothers and sister, of SG 1 in SGC's conference room as they waited to meet someone who General Hammond had been assured by his superiors at the Pentagon was a representative of the Chiropterans.

How that was possible Teal'c did not know and neither did any on his team. Nevertheless, they would meet with this supposed representative and discern the truth from there. He thus refrained from the playful banter of his friends as they debated just who or what the person really was.

Just as O'Neill made the ludicrous suggestion that it was some pod person like those depicted in _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_, General Hammond walked in with the guest in tow.

As everyone stood to greet the General, Teal'c took the opportunity to study the man he had brought with him. At first glance he looked like an unassuming bureaucrat just like one of the many he had met working in the Tau'ri government. However, his stilted, awkward movements gave the impression that he seemed strangely uncomfortable in his own skin.

It was so pronounced in fact that he noted that the whole team seemed to have noticed.

_Perhaps he truly is a Chiropteran and his discomfort stems from using his race's shapeshifting ability to assume a form he is unfamiliar with. _Teal'c mused. _However, if the man truly was a Chiropteran how did he make it to Earth undetected? By ship? If so, then there was a major hole in the Tau'ri's sensor net that needs to be addressed immediately._

"Have a seat everyone," Hammond said in his friendly way. "SG 1, I would like to introduce you to-"

"Allow me General Hammond," the man said as he stood. "My name Fabien Rouzet and I am a Vizier of the Chiropteran Swarm."

To prove his point, he allowed his body to transform, showering the conference room with torn fabric as his clothes ripped to accommodate his new shape. His lower body was replaced by four long insectoid legs that raised his torso high into the air, his arms bulking up considerably, and his fingers becoming tipped with vicious claws and his face morphing into the bat-like visage that seemed universal to the majority of his kind.

Everyone, the General, SG 1 and the guards who had rushed into the room at the sound of tearing fabric, were shocked at the sight.

"How is this possible?" Daniel Jackson asked, astonished.

The creature, no Chiropteran Vizier, smirked. An odd sight on his alien face.

"Earth is as much the Swarm's homeworld as the Tau'ri's."

Teal'c was puzzled by this statement and he doubted he was the only one.

"Ah, let me explain." The Vizier offered oozing amusement. "While it is true that the Swarm evolved elsewhere, circumstances eventually led to the last Queens of my people being secreted on Earth where they eventually revived our people and, while unknown to majority of our fellow Earthlings, returned to the stars."

"And no one noticed you?" General Hammond boggled.

"It is easier to remain hidden than you think, General." The Vizier said with a chuckle. "Especially when one can shapeshift and has access to certain technologies."

"I suppose it's possible." Samantha Carter concluded. "Extremely difficult but possible."

"Yes, it is difficult. Help form some governments, or elements thereof at least, that know of our existence has been invaluable. They have actively helped to keep us a secret from the public."

"Why would you want that?"

"To not unduly influence the development of our Terran brothers."

"The Prime Directive? Figures." O'Neill said, correctly noting the similarity between the Chiropterans' stated motivation for staying in the shadows to the Non-Interference Directive of the fictional Starfleet from _Star Trek_.

The Chiropteran shrugged.

"There's good reason to keep interference with less advanced races to a minimum, but I'm not here to debate the merits of such."

"Then what are you here for?"

"Simple Colonel O'Neill," the Chiropteran said jovially. "I'm here negotiate cooperation between the SGC and the Swarm.

"Not with the United States?" Daniel Jackson asked pointedly.

"We already have an agreement with the federal government, though its under review after some revelations we've voluntarily made to them on our part. And before you ask, I'm not at liberty to tell you about that."

Daniel Jackson nodded in disappointment but said no more.

"And what _exactly _are you here to negotiate, son?"

"A number of things actually. There's a need for a SOP for when our forces encounter each other in the field and things like that, as well as the terms for intelligence, technical, logistical, and other forms of cooperation. Though before I get down to the nitty gritty I just want to reiterate that to the Swarm, Earth is our homeworld too. This means that we _will _fight to the bitter end to defend it and its peoples."

Teal'c was skeptical, particularly about how much the Chiropterans were willing to sacrifice for the Tau'ri people. Nevertheless he acknowledged that they were a powerful new ally to have.

"That's big talk." O'Neill said, not hiding his own skepticism. "What is the Swarm is _actually _willing to do to help us?"

"You'd be surprised Colonel just how much we help already." The Vizier said unfazed by the cool reception he was receiving. "Many of my kin are involved in the project that's mining the data you recovered from the Ancients' Repository of Knowledge recently. Now that formal relations have been established, they can be more overt with their help."

"If you're being so helpful, would you be willing to directly gift us technology?" Samantha Carter asked, cautiously hopeful.

"I'm afraid we cannot," the Vizier said apologetically. "We are allied with the Asgard and one of the terms of that alliance prevents us from handing over technology to less advanced civilizations without their permission."

O'Neill began muttering angrily under his breath various disparaging things about the Asgard High Council. A sentiment Teal'c very much shared.

"Though there are loopholes to that," Teal'c noted. "As shown by your assistance in the deciphering of the Ancients' Repository of Knowledge. You are not limited from helping the Tau'ri understand recovered technology."

"Exactly. There are some other limits within the terms of our treaties with the Asgard. But as far as they allow, we intend to do whatever we can to strengthen Earth's defenses."

"Perhaps that's a good place to properly start these negotiations," General Hammond said. "Could you outline those limits?"

"Good idea, sir, but maybe we could have an intermission so we can go get a coffee?" O'Neill suggested."'Cause this seems like this is going to take a while."

"You have a point, Colonel." General Hammond agreed. "Take five people. We'll reconvene once everyone has had a chance to get a drink."

* * *

**And cut!**

**Yeah, the ending was a little choppy but I can't think of how to fade out any better while avoiding delving into excessive detail of their negotiations. If anyone has any ideas let me know.**

**Okay, things to discuss…**

**Firstly, the stunt that Amelia and Pamela pulled on P8J-821 weren't political in nature as Daniel postulated. It was theater though, just not one designed to serve a political purpose. Rather they did it for their, and the Swarm's amusement. Essentially they were trolling him and the SGC.**

**Secondly, when the Chiropteran Vizier mentioned some governments already being aware of them before this reveal. He meant that they knew them as a race of magical creatures. In light of the decision to establish relations with the SGC, they stepped forward to reveal to the Earth governments that they weren't just magical beings but **_**alien **_**magical beings. **

**Thirdly, the Ancients' Repository of Knowledge that the Vizier mentions Jack recovering is the one Jack encountered in the episode **_**The Fifth Race**_**. In canon, he ended up going to the Asgard to get it removed from his mind. Here, with Chiropterans with secret access to the appropriate tech on Earth, the repository just guided him to seek them out, with a little Ascended help, to get it safely extracted for later analysis.**

**Fourthly, I've been noticing that people don't seem to like the Chiropteran-centric chapters by the drop off in reviews. I'm actually quite sad to see that. I added them to make the story more interesting and more plausible. I mean having Nimue and the rest of the good guys face off against the Goa'uld Empire, the Replicators _and_ the Ori would require giving her even more Deus Ex Machina buffs to win. That was something I was actively wanted to avoid as I've seen it too much in other stories and hate it. It just creates Mary Sues and Gary Stus. Hence, why I merged the Chiropteran plot bunny, it being a separate fic idea originally, into Nimue's story. Having _two_ new factions each with significant advantages made the changes I wanted to introduce to canon more plausible. That said, it seems people don't seem to like it. Well, I can only hope that enough people still like this project that I'm not talking to thin air here. XP**

**Hmm… That seems to be all the matters I think need discussing, that being the case I'll sign off here.**

**Till next time, ciao!**


	22. Old Friends and Enemies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 15: Old Friends and Enemies**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Sitting on the divan that doubled as her command throne on the Pel'tak of her flagship, the _Hedwig_, Nimue waited eagerly as the ship and its small escort flotilla of three Shel'tak transited through hyperspace deep into Goa'uld space.

"My lady," the _Hedwig_'s Ship Lord said with a respectful bow. "We will be transiting to normal space shortly."

"Very good," the former System Lord said automatically. She was too excited by the prospect of what she would find at her destination to bother with the pleasantries she usually offered her subjects as a sign of respect.

True to the Ship Lord's words, it was less than a minute later that their small fleet tore a hole into normal space and smoothly crossed out of hyperspace.

"So this is the world where Ra secreted Egeria's prison?" Nimue noted with incredulity as she looked down on the largely unimpressive world below her ship which her intelligence reported was called Pangara by its inhabitants.

_After centuries I've finally found where he locked you up, old friend. _Nimue thought with a hint of regret. Despite spending an inordinate amount of resources to locate her fellow Goa'ud dissident, the former System Lord had never found where Ra had imprisoned his former Queen. In fact, it was only stroke of luck on Heru'ur's part as he ransacked Ra's former domain for assets to help in his increasingly desperate struggle against the Chiropterans that Egeria's location was discovered and disseminated throughout the Empire.

"My lady, detecting enemy contacts," the sensors officer shouted urgently.

With a thought transmitted through her kara kesh she called up a hardlight display on the tactical situation.

_It seems I'm not the first one here. _Nimue noted with a frown as it seemed that there were eight other Goa'uld ships engaging in a firefight in a lower orbit, alongside a small amount the debris of already destroyed ships. _A shame._

_According to their IFFs that's one Ha'tak and Shel'tak for Kur, a couple Al'kesh from Ares, and a Ha'tak and two Shel'tak from Nirrti. _The Ascended Goa'uld thought as she read the details of the skirmishing ships. _My, isn't killing Egeria to gain some prestige popular among the System Lords? Not that I'll let that happen._

"Launch our Gliders and Mobile Suits," Nimue ordered. "But keep the _Hedwig _and our escorts at extreme range. We'll have them snipe the enemy while providing supporting fire."

"At once my lady," the Ship Lord said as she quickly began issuing orders via her tablet computer.

Outside the squabbling Goa'uld had finally noticed her presence and had wisely temporarily set aside their differences. They were scrambling to move into a cohesive formation to face her forces. Unfortunately for them her strike craft were faster and slammed into their out of formation squadrons like a ton of bricks, blasting dozens of Goa'uld fighters out of the sky in seconds. With what passed for their defensive line breached, it was an easy task for her Mobile Suits to slip by and engage the enemy capital ships from their preferred knife fighting ranges.

Shifting into a more comfortable lounging position, Nimue watched with glee as her Suits' used their maneuverability and newly installed shields to easily weather the capital ship's point defense fire allowing them to close and unload their weapons.

She smirked as a squadron of Mobile Suits took down the shields on a Ha'tak with antimatter missiles at point blank range before tearing the hard pressed ship apart with their light plasma beam cannons and then turning to burn hard for the remaining Ha'tak which itself was already under assault by another squadron of their peers.

With the skirmish well in hand, Nimue turned to her assigned attendant for the day.

"Bring me some tea," she informed the young woman. "This is a lovely view and I would like to enjoy it."

* * *

A little under a day later, Nimue was lying back on a lounger in one of the _Hedwig_'s observation decks and appreciating the view of space that it offered. It was a mesmerizing sight, but what made the former witch truly appreciate the experience was the company.

For lying on a similar lounger to her right and also enjoying the view was none other than her old friend Egeria now freshly blended with a volunteer from among the _Hedwig_'s crew.

_The blending has went smoothly. _Nimue concluded as she took a glance at Egeria's relaxed posture. The young officer who Egeria had chosen as her new host was named San'ark. She was a pretty girl with high cheekbones, vivid blue eyes, and thick auburn hair. She was as befitting an officer in Nimue's navy at the peak of fitness as evidenced by her lean, feminine figure as showcased through the girl's uniform.

"Like what you see, Nimue?" Egeria asked teasingly at catching her staring.

"I'm happily taken, thank you very much." Nimue scoffed back.

"By the same mysterious woman you always used to talk about but never let me meet all those years ago?" The Tok'ra Queen asked with a soft smile.

"There will _never _be anyone else for me," Nimue told her friend with absolute seriousness.

"Your steadfast love is truly inspiring," Egeria said with a wistful sigh.

Nimue was not comfortable discussing her love life with her fellow Goa'uld Queen. There were simply too many aspects to it that she could not share. Thus she deflected the conversation in another direction.

"The blending has gone well."

Egeria shot her a knowing look but did not protest the change in subject.

"Time in your sarcophagus helped," the Tok'ra Queen said instead. "I'm honestly impressed with how well that machine ran. It seems you've worked out all of the kinks it used to have."

"It _has _been thousands of years. I've had plenty of time to perfect it."

"That it seems is not something the other Goa'uld have embraced." Egeria said with a disappointed shake of her head. "Based on San'ark's memories it seems they have hardly made any progress in all that time."

"You have Ra to blame for that."

"That does not explain you own progress."

"It is insignificant considering the time elapsed." Nimue said self-deprecatingly as she thought to the brief memories she had of her time as Harry Potter and the various visions of the future the Tau'ri had dreamed up in their science fiction. In comparison to those, the progress she'd made over the millennia was paltry indeed.

"You are as bad at accepting compliments as always." Egeria said with a long sufering sigh. "Why don't we talk about something else instead? Something that won't lead you to stubbornly refuse to be praised?"

"And what would that be?"

Egeria hummed in thought for a moment and searched around for inspiration. Looking out the observation window at the world of Pangara below, she seemed to have hit on gold and turned back towards Nimue.

"Will you really be able to keep them safe?"

It was a valid question. The Pangarans had handed Egeria over to Nimue on the promise that she would protect them. Something that was very important to them, and the kindhearted Tok'ra Queen, after having had to endure orbital bombardment from Nirrti's forces. Apparently she'd been the first to arrive over the world and had began an invasion of their world without even issuing demands. She was thankfully prevented from causing too much damage by the arrival of the other System Lords' fleets which had distracted her.

"I promised them I would," Nimue assured her. "I keep my promises, you know that. And you have access to San'ark's memories, so you should _know _that I can do so."

Egeria hummed in thought for a moment, presumably searching her host's memories for confirmation of her friend's words, before speaking up once more.

"San'ark _thinks _you're capable of protecting them but that's different from actually being able to do so."

"I am more than capable."

Egeria nodded her acceptance and the two Goa'uld Queens settled into a companionable silence. Nimue especially enjoying the quiet companionship of a friend. Something she rarely gets the chance to enjoy

"Thank you, Nimue," Egeria said suddenly, breaking the quiet.

"What for?"

"For many things," the Tok'ra Queen said with a earnest smile. "But two big things in particular. First, for saving me. And secondly, for teaching me that what our race was doing was wrong."

"I doubt I played much of a role in the latter."

"There you go deflecting praise again." Egeria noted with a chuckle. "But seriously, you did a lot more than you can possibly imagine. I might not have agreed with what our kind was doing but without your example or our conversations, I would never have dreamed of rebelling. It was your quiet, subtle rebellion that inspired me to do the same."

"The rebellion you started has not been quiet or subtle."

"Not by your standards perhaps," Egeria agreed.

"And those conversations you were talking about, if I recall correctly they were intended by Ra to be used as ways to ferret out my secrets, weren't they?" Nimue asked with an amused grin.

"Indeed they were," Egeria replied with a wry smile. "Though I must say that Ra was an idiot. Anyone with half a brain cell would know talking to _you_, of all people, was as good as brainwashing them to the righteous path."

Both Goa'uld Queens laughed at the joke. At least Nimue thought it was a joke. Unbeknownst to her, despite her humorous presentation Egeria was being completely serious.

"It's so difficult to believe that Ra is truly dead." Egeria said once the two Queens had regathered themselves.

"He is. The Tau'ri made sure of that. And soon _all _the System Lords and the whole rotten Empire will be too."

"A fate that they should have suffered millennia ago."

"Better late than never."

"True," Egeria conceded. "I'll be sure to do my part in working towards that goal as well. Once I get back to my children, I'll do my best to convince them to assist you."

"You have my thanks."

"It's the least I can do for you, old friend."

* * *

In a shadowy throne room, a small statured, elderly black man dressed in a vibrantly colored robe that shifted colors and patterns as he moved sat on an obsidian throne. Kneeling before him a Jaffa bearing the symbol of Apophis on his forehead was flanked by two Spider Guards as he knelt before the old man.

"Tell me, young man," the man on the throne asked. "Why would a proud warrior of Apophis seek to defect?"

"Lord Apophis is doomed, Lord Anansi," the kneeling Jaffa said. "I merely wish to join the ranks of a god who is in the ascendance rather than die a meaningless death in the service of a dying god."

"What makes you think Apophis will be defeated?"

"I commanded a Ha'tak into battle with the Chiropterans and have seen their overwhelming might. Against them, there is no chance for Lord Apophis to win."

"Oh, how so?" The Goa'uld pressed.

The Jaffa hesitated, seemingly searching for the best way to explain his reasoning. It took him a few moments but he eventually continued his account.

"My ship was part of the largest Goa'uld fleet I'd ever seen in my hundred years as a warrior. But that didn't matter. It was still nevertheless decimated by the aliens and I only barely escaped with my life."

"I see," Anansi said in a comforting voice. "In the face of something so trying, it's no surprise that you have lost faith in your god."

The former Jaffa of Apophis just nodded.

"I am unlike Apophis however," Anansi insisted. "I am not weak."

"You are strong, my lord." The supplicant Jaffa agreed sycophantically. "Truly one of the strongest and most cunning of the gods."

Anansi smiled at the man, amused by his excessive praise.

"Indeed, and as part of my wise cunning it is only fitting that I reward you for making the smart decision to join my service."

"Thank you, my lord." The defector said, bowing so low his head touched the floor. "I am honored by your generosity."

Anansi smile genially at the man before gesturing that he was dismissed.

Once the defector had left, Anansi addressed the shadows of his throne room.

"First Prime," he said to his highest ranking Jaffa subordinate. A man so loyal he'd forsaken his own name to attain his rank. "Have the coward poisoned, please. An ignoble death like that is precisely the reward that a traitorous coward like him deserves."

Stepping out of the shadows, a Jaffa in jet black power armor and the standard Anansi helm bowed in understanding before disappearing back into the darkness that clung to the room.

Leaning back on his throne, Anansi pondered how to spin recent developments to his advantage. The Empire was on the brink, with the Chiropterans' assault seeming unstoppable and powerful System Lords like Yu and Nimue abandoning it to pursue their own agendas. However, Anansi knew that there was _always _opportunity even amidst disaster. It was just a matter of discerning what those opportunities were.

* * *

A month after receiving news of just how poorly the war with the Chiropterans were going from the Apophis defector, Anansi was seated at the head of a large drinking hall as he surveyed his guests.

To his immediate right sat Atum, a swarthy Middle-Eastern man dressed in gold finery. Next to him was a muscled Greek man dressed in elaborate armor that was Ares. Across from the self-proclaimed war god sat Kur, a stocky man with tanned skin, a rich beard and dressed in robes with an overabundance of draconic designs. And lastly, to Anansi's left sat Vritra, a thin black man with a cosmetically forked tongue and dressed in snakeskin robes.

These minor System Lords were all that answered his summons to discuss a possible response to the Chiropteran threat. He'd honestly hoped for more, but was more than willing to settle for what he'd managed to attract. In such times of crisis as they lived in, it was not easy to convince any Goa'uld to leave their strongholds for anything. That he'd managed to entice four of his peers to his little conference was already quite the accomplishment.

The other System Lords were speaking over each other in their typical pompous tones and trying to one up each other at every turn. Anansi himself refrained instead intently studying them and coming up with the conclusion he had hoped for. They were all in agreement that the Chiropterans were unlikely to stop their rampage once they were done with the major Lords that have been their focus so far. A fact that terrified them.

"There is nothing we can do about it." Atum admitted, sounding defeated already. "The High Council has amassed the greatest fleets in Goa'uld history and have failed to stop the bats. Even if we added our own fleets to the fight the Chiropterans would still just sweep us all aside."

_Time for me to step in._

"Ah!" Anansi said cutting into the deafening silence that Atum's statement had left the hall shrouded in. "But there is one Goa'uld whose vast fleets may yet turn the tide."

"You speak of Nimue," Kur asked.

Anansi nodded.

"Then you overestimate her," Kur scoffeed. "She might have the most advanced and largest Goa'uld fleets that remain but even she does not have enough ships to make a difference."

"If we are talking about the ships she's _currently using_, then you would be correct."

His words sent a murmur of confusion, and even hope, shooting through the gathered System Lords just like he planned.

"What exactly are you driving at, Spider?" Vritra asked, intrigued but cautious.

Smiling, Anansi snapped his fingers and a screen on one wall of the hall came to life to display a large underground hangar filled with what must have been hundreds of Goa'uld ships. Mainly Al'kesh admittedly, but there were nevertheless dozens of capital ships in the vast complex.

"Where is this?" Ares asked, his voice practically salivating with want.

"One of Nimue's hidden fleet bases of course. It is located on a world called Hull which I know to house two other such facilities. Many more are undoubtedly hidden across her space as well."

"How could she have so many ships?" Kur boggled.

"She must have been churning ships out at full production at her yards since the Anubian War." Vritra reasoned.

"And Ra allowed this?" Ares asked, incredulous.

"She bought him off," Atum said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I always wondered where he seemed to get so many ships when his shipyards were for the most part idle. She must have been supplying him."

"And building up her own reserves on the side." Vritra added.

"Yes," Atum agreed. "Though I cannot see why she would not use these ships? If she deployed them and not just let them sit idle she might have been powerful enough to overthrow Ra!"

"And where would she find the manpower to crew them?" Ares asked with a chuckle. "She's notorious is she not for having trouble finding enough warriors."

"She could have used the ships as drones." Kur suggested.

"And if one of us hacked them and turned them against her?" Vritra asked, with a contemptuous look at Kur's foolish suggestion. "She doubtless didn't want to take the risk."

"That and her overcautious nature." Ares said confidently. "She likely was biding her time waiting to make her move. Keeping the true extent of her fleet hidden like this must be part of it."

"Ares has the right of it," Anansi said, jumping into the conversation. "At least that's what appears to be the case."

"Though Anansi," Ares said turning to his host. "What use is knowing this? Nimue has abandoned the Empire."

"Yes, but what if we take these fleets for ourselves?"

"Are you suggesting we steal them?" Ares asked, with a snort. "Not only is that cowardly. It is suicidal. Any such attempt will surely incite her to retaliate and even if we succeeded it is doubtful we have the power to resist her. At least not without taking losses that would leave us vulnerable to others."

"Nothing so plebeian," Anansi said leadingly.

"Are you seriously suggesting that we defeat her and claim her holdings, including these unactivated fleets, as our own?" Vritra asked with a frown.

"Impossible," Kur said with a shake of his head that was shared by Atum.

"How long till she can bring these ships online?" Ares asked.

Anansi smiled. _It was right to include the brute after all._

"We still have a small window of opportunity." The Spider informed his guests. "Between the estimated populations of her hidden worlds, the manpower she gained from her recent conquests and increased wartime mobilization… She should be ready to begin fielding her full fleet within a year, maybe less."

"Are we seriously considering this?" Kur asked, sounding incredulous. "Did everyone forget the crushing defeat Nimue dealt Anansi recently?"

"Of course not," Anansi said reassuringly. "She caught me unprepared back then, but this time I have a plan. Care to hear it?"

The gathered System Lords exchanged looks before one by one they nodded.

_Everything is going as planned. _Anansi crowed to himself as he began outlining what he had in mind.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this setup chapter for this new arc. As you can see Anansi and his cohorts are the antagonists this time around. What is the Spider up to? Keep reading to find out.**

**On the other side of things, Egeria has been saved. Hooray! Honestly, canon's treatment of her was just terrible so since I had the chance I took it to save her in this fic. No more to it then that.**

**So I got feedback from a number of reviewers that the hate for the Chiropterans is due to their nymphomania hampering immersion by distracting from the greater narrative. While I agree, I think it's important as it's something my characters would do thanks to the characterization I've given them. It's gratuitous definitely and I've toned it down later in the story (though when I do not recall) but I don't think I made a misstep here by being true to my characters. That said, I'll take this feedback into account and make sure not to make characters with such distracting characterizations in future projects.**

**Other reviewers point out that the Chiropterans are too similar to the Wraith and thus are put off by that. Despite this similarity being obvious, only one or two reviewers as far as I'm aware seems to have seen the link I'm trying to make. This similarity is wholly deliberate and is a set up for a plot point for the Pegasus side to this verse that I'm currently developing. So hold your horses people and let me the story unfold. **

**Well, that's all for this chapter. Till next time, peace out!**


	23. The Spider Strikes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 16: The Spider Strikes**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warning: Nudity**

Nimue relaxed as she floated on her back in the nude within her spawning pool onboard the _Hedwig_ as she birthed a new generation of her Goa'uld children while her flagship made its way back to her throne world of Londinium after dropping Egeria off with the Tok'ra.

Even in the intimate moment of childbirth however, the Ascended Goa'uld was still working.

"Sokar has sent another request for an alliance." Kalwart informed her via subspace comms. "It's the third such request since our secession."

"He's persistent as always," Nimue said. "Refuse it like usual."

"Mother, is that really wise?" Her daughter asked, concerned. "We need allies."

"Yes, but we are not allying with _him_." Nimue insisted. "Did you forget that Sokar was exiled by the Goa'uld Empire because he had a penchant for genocide on a whim? To a degree that was intolerable even to the other Goa'uld?"

_Though they only found it intolerable because his killings were depleting human resources too quickly for their tastes, and not out of any respect for human life._

"I understand, but as Eldarose and Ma'toc both point out we're overextended. We could use some help with some support from an ally and Sokar is in a good position to do so. His territory is near enough that he could quickly reinforce us in the event of a enemy attack."

"We do not need his help." Nimue insisted. "We just need to maintain our lines for a little longer. The next round of activated reserve fleets are almost ready for deployment. Once they join the front, the strength of our forces will be effectively doubled."

_Our people are worth two of the enemy's anyways. At least. _The Ascended Goa'uld thought. _We'll manage to hold the line. I know we will._

"But until they do, we're vulnerable." Kalwart countered. "Perhaps we could withdraw slightly and consolidate our forces more?"

"That will just show weakness and incite attacks from our enemies."

Kalwart didn't look convinced but conceded that she was unable to change Nimue's mind. She thus moved on.

"On the matter of our ship production capacity. It's increased tenfold, or will be, once we finish integrating the Asgard matter recombination technology we received from the Swarm. The problem however, as always, is finding the crews to men these ships. A situation made worse by the redirection of fresh crews to the ships of the reserve fleets instead of to newly launched vessels. We can only automate our ships so much before we see drops in combat effectiveness."

"It doesn't matter whether our ships are fresh off the assembly line or refitted vessels from the reserve." Nimue reminded her daughter. "All that matters is their combat ability. If we have trouble manning new ships then focus on reactivating our reserves and shift our yards to maintenance and refits. Even with the Asgard technology, it's still faster to refit our existing reserve ships than build them from scratch."

"That's true, but in the long term when the reserves have all been activated? What then?"

"We'll need to start recruiting personnel from our new conquests." Nimue said with a sigh. "I know we don't usually do this until we're able to fully assimilate their populations and ensure their loyalty but we have no choice. We can mitigate concerns about spies by limiting their assignment to less essential posts. That, at the very least, will free up people from worlds with more confirmed loyalties to serve in the fleet."

"I dislike it, but as you say, mother, we have no choice. Now onto-"

Kalwart was suddenly interrupted by the alarms indicating a cascade of emergency messages.

"What is it?" Nimue demanded as she halted her spawning and shifted her position so she was now treading water in the pool.

_If this is a major attack then I'll need to go help manage our response._

"It's our frontline worlds. They are under attack."

"Which ones?" Nimue asked as she swam towards the edge of the pool intent on getting dressed and heading to the Pel'tak to better coordinate the defense to this attack.

"All of them."

* * *

On the mountainous, Naquadah rich world of Mahayama that Nimue had only recently claimed from Agni, Shetan and his old acquaintance Ruilan found themselves taking cover behind a half demolished rock wall as they exchanged fire with Jaffa from Anansi's coalition while they fought a desperate retreat to the last escape ships.

"This batch are wearing the marks of Kur and Atum." Ruilan shouted over the din of countless plasma bolts firing back and forth as she ducked back under cover after unleashing a couple shots from her Light Staff Cannon. "How many does it make?"

"If we include those idiots we killed earlier from Ares and Vritra then they're dealing with Jaffa from _four _different System Lords."

"Well shit!" Ruilan cursed their luck.

_How the hell had the enemy had amassed such an overwhelming force? _It had been be so massive that the initial attacking fleet had managed to force their garrison fleet from orbit, allowing them to land troops. When the relief fleet had finally arrived it had been ambushed by a large cloaked second enemy fleet. Thankfully, it had managed to hold its own and enter orbit to rescue the stranded defenders.

Just a couple dozen feet to their right along their makeshift defensive line, one of their fellow Stormtroopers jumped out of cover and unleashed a burst from his Rotary Staff Cannon that suppressed the enemy along their whole section for a second, only to be taken out by a barrage of return fire as the enemy regrouped.

"Don't go over the top alone!" Shetan shouted through his comms to whoever he could reach. With the suddenness of the attack, unit cohesion had collapsed and friendly forces had formed up into ad hoc units all across the planet as they fought an increasingly futile defense.

He got a host of acknowledgements from men all along the area.

"On my signal," he told these men and waited for a few seconds for them to register the order before he jumped up out of cover with a roar. "Now!"

Raising his Light Staff Cannon to bear against the enemy, he saw that to his sides dozens of Stormtroopers and regular Jaffa had popped up of cover as well and were opening fire. The weight of which was forcing the surprised attackers back behind their own cover.

"Regulars! Retreat!" Shetan barked even as he saw the enemy once more regroup.

"You heard the man!" Ruilan barked from beside him as she manhandled a regular infantryman to get him moving. "Leave it to us Stormtroopers to hold the line!"

The regulars were clearly hesitant but nevertheless began retreating under the protective fire of the Stormtroopers. All was going well, which was of course when everything went to hell once more.

"Artillery!" A shout from someone down the line came a second before a large caliber plasma round exploded nearby sending dirt and men flying in a fiery geyser.

_Shit! They brought up a Heavy Staff Cannon!_

"Retreat!" Shetan roared. "Everyone retreat!"

All around him, the soldiers of Nimue obeyed running away from the pursuing enemy while turning around to fire the occasional shot even as heavy plasma bolts slammed into the earth all around them and destroyed any semblance of cohesion their lines might have had. Things were quickly devolving into a rout and there was nothing Shetan could do about it.

"My leg!" The familiar voice of Ruilan came from just ahead and the Stormtrooper squad leader turned to check on his acquaintance.

"What happened?" He asked as he knelt beside the woman where she was lying against a boulder and clutching her badly twisted leg.

"Got thrown by a arty strike. Twisted it on landing." The woman replied, coherent thanks to the stimulants her armor must be pumping into her body in response to her injury.

Shetan grit his teeth. He had two options: abandon her and save himself or carry her and risk both their lives. It was no choice at all. He wasn't leaving any of his comrades behind on this hellhole.

Dropping his weapon, he reached up and picked his comrade up and slung her over his shoulders.

"What are you doing!?" Ruilan asked, incredulous.

"Saving your life!" Shetan replied as he burst into a run towards the escape ships.

He ran through an increasingly chaotic battlefield, past rapidly collapsing defensive lines, ignoring all else even as his comrades fought to the last all around him and on more than one occasion moved to screen him as he ran.

All the while Ruilan screamed at him to both her down, but he refused. He was saving her and that was it.

It was a hellish ten minutes later that he _finally _made it to the nearest evacuation point and all but tossed Ruilan onto the deck of a waiting Tel'tak.

"Get on!" The naval ensign operating the ship's airlock shouted at him even as she gestured at a pair of infantrymen to carry Ruilan inside. "This is the last ship out of here. The Fleet is being forced out of orbit. Get on! This is your last chance."

_So it's gotten that bad, huh?_

"Take care of her," Shetan said as he turned away from the shocked navy woman.

She started shouting at him, but he didn't pay her any mind as he walked through the all but deserted landing zone to the nearest defensive position, picking up a discarded Rotary Staff Cannon as he did.

Taking his spot in the trench at the edge of the evacuation zone and adding his fire to the comrades around him as they made their last stand, Shetan smiled as the Tel'tak lifted off and zoomed away.

* * *

Hunkered in the fortified underground bunker of newly furnished fortress/administrative center on the planet of Kwanku, the Second Prime Herion watched through a tactical display as a sizable enemy charge on his position was halted through the liberal use of artillery and a flight of seven new Kestrel gunships.

He watched dispassionately through a small window on the display as the enemy Jaffa either were gunned down by the plasma repeaters of the gunships or were blown into bloody chunks by the plasma mortars and Heavy Staff Cannon he'd had set up within the courtyard of the walled compound above. The smarter members of the enemy army was fleeing back into the city, though many weren't making it as his men along the walls sniped their retreating backs from the safety of the fortress' walls and towers.

"Looks like they've been routed." Herion said after a quick assessment. "Send out teams to mop them out."

"Yes, Master Herion." His lieutenants said with a salute before rushing off to relay his orders.

_Why won't they surrender? _Herion asked as he continued to examine the tactical display. _With the gate facility recaptured, there's no escape for them. Yet they'll keep fighting… How can the Goa'uld inspire such loyalty when they treat them as slaves? I just can't understand it._

Toggling the display, it changed into a representation of the orbital battle. Their garrison had proven victorious it seemed, with the enemy having been completely destroyed but just a quick glance at the number of friendlies being displayed told him that they'd suffered heavy losses.

_I hope the other worlds under attack are holding up as well. We just need to hold out a little longer. The goddess will come to save us. I know she will._

* * *

Drake looked over the wreckage drifting in the orbit of Neno-Katasu-Kuni and frowned. He had just crushed a numerically superior enemy force by exploiting the better maneuverability of his ships to envelope them, a feat that despite losing half his fleet was worthy of pride. Yet, all he felt was anxiety. He might have achieved a victory but many of his peers were either being forced to retreat or being annihilated.

He dearly wished to send elements of his fleet to relieve his beleaguered comrades but his fleet was too depleted for him to risk it. Worse, he knows that they had no plan of action in the face of an attack on this scale. No one had imagined that their enemies would all rally together and launch such a vast combined assault like this.

_At this rate, it might be prudent to retreat back into our original space. At least there we can rely on our orbital defenses to even up the odds._

He was still weighing his options when his XO walked up to him.

"What is it?" He asked the woman tiredly.

"Orders from her Majesty, my lord."

"And they are?"

"Hold position. I'm on my way."

* * *

Within a massive room filled with complex glowing machinery, Baltet, head of Nimue's Research and Development, ran a final diagnostic on the heavily modified hyperdrive that filled the bulk of the large engine room he was standing in.

Reading the results, he allowed a satisfied grin to spread across his face as he lifted his omnitool and hailed his mother.

"It should work fine." He informed his furious looking liege without preamble.

She nodded and immediately cut the call.

Beltat was unfazed by her bluntness. He could fully understand the urgency of the situation.

Instead he turned to look at the drive once more.

_I hope I'm right. _He thought as he let the nerves he had suppressed till now flood his consciousness. _The Magos have installed so many spell matrices into this drive that I'm genuinely unsure whether it'll work as intended or kill us all in the attempt._

He prayed to his mother that it was the former.

* * *

On a Pel'tak an order of magnitude larger than that of a conventional Ha'tak, Eldarose turned to her mother for the final confirmation. The woman had, somehow, managed to travel across the galaxy in minutes after learning of the attack on her space and had taken command of the situation with an iron fist. In fact her mother's intensity was unsettling, though that might have more to do with the way electricity seemed to be constantly arcing off her body in her agitation.

Receiving a nod from her mother, the daughter of Nimue took a calming breath and shed all her concerns. It was time to lead her troops into battle. All other worries could wait till after the fighting was over. For now it was time to be the commander she'd spent centuries honing herself into being.

"_Pride of Albion_ launch!"

At her command, the _Pride of Albion _the massive new Mel'tak-class dreadnought designed by her mother's finest engineers and built in her premiere shipyards detached itself from its drydock and began drifting into space on its own power.

The ship had a central pyramid three times the size of a Ha'tak's, which was flanked on either side by two smaller Ha'tak sized pyramids. The bulk of the ship however consisted of a heavily armored superstructure that surrounded the three pyramids. Overall, it had roughly ten times the mass of a Ha'tak. Its immense size was matched by the equally large amount of firepower it was equipped with, consisting of three powerful plasma beams emitters, 250 staff cannon and thousands of plasma repeaters for point defense coverage. In addition it also housed cavernous hangars that were filled with hundreds of Death Gliders fighters and Riflemen Mobile Suits.

"Escorts are moving into position," Eldarose's XO reported as the _Pride _was surrounded by hundreds of lesser ships.

"Activate the Fold Drive." The First Fleet Lord ordered.

Seconds later, a energy bubble began to rapidly expand out from the _Pride_ to engulf its escorts. The light from this bubble grew brighter as it expanded until it became as brilliant as a star before in one massive burst of light, the bubble blinked out of existence taking the massive ship and its accompanying escort fleet with it.

* * *

**Done!**

**Hope you folks liked it.**

**Only one thing to point out. Herion's hypocrisy in his scene where he derides the enemy Jaffa for their fanatical devotion to their gods while he hypocritically ends the scene expressing thoughts of similar fanaticism is wholly deliberate. **

**So I'd like to address something that I think might be affecting readers if LuluViBritania's review last chapter was any indication. It seems some readers might not be familiar with the why Goa'uld System Lords see conflict with other Goa'uld. To them, these wars are about defeating the opponent and absorbing their worlds and forces either by making the enemy a vassal or outright conquest and assimilation. This has been the norm for hundreds of years. To them, the idea that this would not happen when defeating another System Lord is outside their expectations. This is why when Anansi showed off the Nimue's hidden reserve fleet on Hull and offers a viable attack plan, the other System Lords are willing to believe they can claim a portion of Nimue's might if only they can beat her. They know she likely has fail safes that prevent them from just stealing her vessels/worlds/etc. but they expect her either to not use them or to be able to circumvent them. It's supreme arrogance of course, but that's typical of Goa'uld and something reinforced by _millennia_ of this expectation holding true.**

**Beyond these two things… Nothing really.**

**So till next time, ciao!**


	24. The Lady of the Storm

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 17: The Lady of the Storm**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

News of the massive Goa'uld offensive had reached Hogwarts within minutes of the first attacks and the defenders of Nimue's first throneworld were hastily preparing for what they feared would be the inevitable enemy attack. Hogwarts, even if was no longer the Albionian capital, remained a hugely symbolic target and as a major logistics hub, a massive strategic one as well.

As a result, Loutal commander of the world's garrison fleet found himself cursing his promotion to Fleet Lord for his achievements at the Battle of Nanzi even as he did his best to prepare.

_I can only hope that the enemy somehow were foolish enough to not have set aside the necessary forces to exploit the fact that they're managed to pin down our frontline fleets. _The Fleet Lord mused even as the oversaw the last of the reinforcements he could readily expect, having recalled all patrol groups and even stripping less strategic worlds within range of their garrisons to bolster his own.

It had brought his fleet up to 98 Ha'tak, 319 Shel'tak, and 953 Al'kesh and he dearly hoped it would be enough.

"My lord," the sensors officer said, a tremor of trepidation evident in her otherwise professional voice. "The enemy has exited hyperspace just outside our inhibitor field. I'm reading 749 Ha'tak, 2036 Shel'taks and 5887 Al'kesh."

This count was met by stunned silence throughout the bridge, and who could blame his crew. This was worse than they had ever expected. They were outnumbered roughly 8:1. These were odds that even with the support of Hogwarts' orbital defense stations, they could not hope to overcome.

_Judging by the size of this force and those in their previous assaults, the enemy must have gambled every warrior and ship at their command to have amassed the forces needed to launch a campaign of this scale. _Loutal noted to himself grimly. _If we win this, they'll be finished. But that's a big if._

"Hail Lord Ma'toc," the Fleet Lord said, betraying none of his mounting dread.

"Fleet Lord," her majesty's First Prime said as his wise old face appeared on the Pel'tak's central viewscreen. "The enemy has come?"

"Yes, my lord." Loutal informed him. "And in massive numbers."

"Yes, I can see that." The Jaffa said glancing down, presumably at a display of some kind. "No matter. We just need to hold the line until her Majesty comes to relieve us."

"Considering our odds, can we even manage that?"

"We must, Fleet Lord. We must." The veteran said with easy confidence. "Or at least die trying."

Loutal didn't want to die, but he understood his duty. Steeling himself, he nodded.

"Let us hope that we may meet each other on the other side of this crucible, Lord Ma'toc."

"Indeed, Fleet Lord Loutal." Ma'toc said with a salute. "To victory!"

"To victory!" Loutal returned as he signaled to cut the link.

"Signal the fleet," He said as he eyed the tactical display in the corner of the primary viewscreen. "They are to break orbit and maneuver around the enemy fleet. We'll attack them from the flank. Trick them to try and break off a more manageable detachment in an attempt to hunt us. Also, open fire the moment they enter our firing range. We have superior range, don't forget to use it."

As his crew began relaying his orders, his XO turned to him.

"My lord, is it wise to leave the defense stations unsupported?"

"We have no choice," Loutal informed her as he saw through the tactical display that his orders were being followed. "With the enemy's numbers even if we did support the stations it would amount to nothing. This way we'll stand a better chance to whittle down their numbers somewhat."

"I understand, but…"

"I share your reservations, but we have no choice."

"My lord, an enemy force is detaching from their main fleet and moving to engage us." The sensors officer reported.

Loutal looked to his XO in shock, "They can't be _that _stupid?"

She hurriedly checked their sensor feed and just shook her head in her own shock.

"Apparently they are. We're seeing 103 Ha'tak, 419 Shel'tak and 1071 Al'kesh heading our way."

"That's roughly the same numbers as our own. What is the enemy thinking?"

"Perhaps, my lord, they aren't thinking at all."

"Probably."

"Enemy main fleet is engaging defense stations. _Quaffle #1_ is down!"

_One station down in the opening barrage? The orbital defense line won't last long at this rate._

"Ignore the stations," Loutal ordered. "Is the enemy detachment still following us?"

"Yes, my lord. It has fully detached from the enemy fleet and is closing rapidly."

"Are we outside the range of the enemy's main fleet?"

"Affirmative."

"Then all ships fire at will! Launch all fighters and MS! It's time we paid our invaders back!" Loutal roared as his fleet engaged the enemy, even as the first enemy landing ships burst through the orbital defensive line and entered Hogwarts' atmosphere.

* * *

Even as Loutal's fleet dueled with the enemy in the void, on the surface of Hogwarts Nimue's loyal soldiers fought their own battles.

_This is, expectedly, not going well._ Ma'toc mused as he ducked behind a large indoor fountain in one of the many water gardens that filled his goddess' Water Palace even as a deadly crossfire of plasma bolts flew overhead. The fountain offered enough safety though for him to chance a look at his powered armor's HUD to assess the tactical situation.

It was not looking good. Despite making full use of the labyrinthine nature of the sprawling palace to their advantage and its many strong points to anchor their defensive lines, the defenders were steadily being forced back by the ever growing tide of enemy troops.

_We're running out of ground to gi-_

The Jaffa veteran was unable to finish the thought as a large explosion to his side duddenly sent him flying.

Quickly crawling to his fleet after his tumble, he scanned this surroundings to find the source of the explosion and cursed as he sighted a crude Mobile Suit, little more just an oversized powered armor really complete with the ornate Boar head shaped head that were used by Ares' Jaffa, stomping into the wrecked garden with a Heavy Staff Cannon mounted to its right arm even as it fired bursts from the trio of Rotary Staff Cannons on its left.

_Oh shit!_ The ancient Jaffa cursed as he ran for cover as the enemy Mobile Suit swept its fire towards where he'd landed. Unfortunately there was precious little good cover and he was forced to jump into one of the many ponds that dotted the area.

He had barely hit the water when his surroundings were dyed orange by a large explosion, swimming his way to the surface Ma'toc hazarded a look at the cause of the latest explosion to find the enemy MS reduced to a smoldering wreck as a Kestrel gunship sprayed the enemy with its plasma repeaters and the occasional micro missile.

_How the hell did it get in here? _Ma'toc asked before a the sound of something crumbling overhead had him jumping away just as a section of the roof collapsed onto where he had just stood. Looking up, he received the answer to his question in the form of a blasted out roof.

_Smart boy. _The First Prime thought glowingly of the Kestrel pilot's initiative.

A plasma bolt grazed his shields as he instinctively dodged the shot, reminding Ma'toc that he was still in the middle of a battlefield. Setting aside his distractions, he raised his Staff Rifle and rejoined the fight.

* * *

In a distant system from Hogwarts, Drake watched from his Pel'tak as his fleet joined a rapidly growing armada forming up around the _Pride of Albion_.

_Time to taste our fury you Goa'uld scum. _The Albionian Fleet Lord thought while sporting a vicious grin even as the energy bubble generated by the _Pride_'s Fold Drive spread over his Ha'tak. _You got us good in your opening move but we're about to return the favor._

* * *

Abroad her flagship, the _Lady's Mercy_, Reshi stood leaned over her comms officer to see the seeming endless stream of distress calls and worrying reports of enemy action that they were receiving from the frontlines.

_If only I could do something to help them!_ The disgraced Fleet Lord thought as she clenched her fists in frustration.

She was in no position to do so however as after the disaster at Nanzi, she'd been demoted and delegated to the role of defending the Mother Empress' true throne world of Londinium. A largely ceremonial task as the likelihood of an attack was considered perishingly low. Despite that though, she could not abandon her duty and leave even if it was to help her beleaguered comrades. Not that with the distances involved and the power of their hyperdrives her fleet would be able to reach anyone in time to do much of anything anyways.

"My lady," her sensors officer said suddenly. "I'm picking up something."

Walking over to the other woman's station, she frowned. _It's probably nothing. Just another of the sensor ghosts we've been picking up regularly over the past few weeks._

She was about to suggest as much when the junior officer gasped.

"Enemy contact!" The other woman shouted. "I repeat enemy contact!"

For a moment, Reshi blinked in disbelief but a quick look at the readings herself showed her that this was really happening.

"Battlestations!" She roared as she hurried back to her command throne and its dictated command and control suite. "All hands to battlestations!"

As her crew, and those on all the ships of her fleet scrambled to readiness, she pondered how this could be happening. Londinium was protected by Shroud technology that made it impossible to tell others its location even if it was discovered and interfered with remote surveillance. Yes, its general position in space had long been deduced by the System Lords of Goa'uld Empire, but none had located its exact location. Until now.

_Those signal ghosts must have been enemy scout ships. They got lucky and found the biggest weaknesses of the Shroud._

The fact that even if it can make it impossible to tell others of a world's location. It can be overcome by simply leading others to what you've found. Furthermore, even if the Shroud had a scrambling effect on sensors, this could be overcome if the sensors were powerful enough.

_They must have discovered us and deduced Londinium is the Lady's throne world. Thinking that Lady Nimue is here, they must plan to kill her and then absorb her forces like they would any other defeated Goa'uld. Like Lady Nimue would be so easy to kill or that we'd yield so easily even in the face of such a disaster. _

At the same time as Reshi pieced together the chain of events that led to this debacle she was also analyzing the odds she was facing.

_They have 78 Ha'tak, 259 Shel'tak and 871 Al'kesh while I only have 30 Ha'tak, 90 Shel'tak, 360 Al'kesh and 24 defense stations. It certainly isn't good odds but they aren't hopeless. _She mused. _Judging by some of the technology these ships seem to be sporting, they all seem to belong to Anansi. Is this the Spider main attack? Even if it is, it doesn't matter. _

"Relay my orders." Reshi said to her comms officer. "Group Beta is to jump out of the system in accordance with Plan C."

"My lady, that will take away a third of our fleet!" Her XO protested.

"I know!" Reshi shot back. "Just do it! If we don't gamble we'll lose this battle with or without Group Beta! Now relay my orders."

Her XO still looked skeptical but nevertheless nodded at the comms officer who hastily began passing her orders to the 10 Ha'tak, 30 Shel'tak and 120 Al'kesh of Group Beta who promptly broke formation by microjumping out of the system.

"All other ships are to hold their positions in the orbital defensive line as per Plan A. We will support the defensive stations." Reshi barked. "In the meantime deploy all fighters and MS. All strike craft are to stay close. They'll need the support fire from our point defense to even out the numerical advantage."

She watched from her tactical screen as first dozens then hundreds of Gliders and MS streamed out of her motherships and the defensive stations and formed a screen just ahead of their formation. Satisfied that they were position, she glanced at the incoming enemy which were spreading out into the typical firing line formation as they crossed into the superior firing range of her ships.

"All ships fire at will!"

Even as she spoke the words, her subordinates were already firing and a storm of plasma hurtled through the void at the invaders. One by one, the enemy's numbers began to, in no small part thanks to the added firepower of the defense stations. In total they managed to take down 12 Ha'tak, 21 Shel'tak before the enemy begin returning fire.

Better yet ignoring the obvious threat of a third of her fleet jumping away to parts unknown, probably thinking they'd fled in fear, the enemy had moved out of their defensive formation into a looser attack formation. The optimum formation for them to be in when Group Beta ambushed them from the rear. Now all Reshi needed to do was hold out until that happened.

A task that was by no means easy as proven by how the moment the enemy fleet entered its own effective range, it began returning fire with a vengeance. In the wake of which, Reshi quickly began seeing one ship after another of her own fleet taking damage.

"How long till Group Beta jumps back?"

"Two minutes," her XO informed her sounding worried.

"Then we'll need to hold out till then." Reshi said with as much bravado she could muster, even as the Pel'tak was rocked by a powerful impact against her ship's shields. "Hang in there. We can do this!"

Things were turning for the worse however, with her ships and the defense stations starting to die one after another under the weight of the enemy fire. Her officers were rattling off the name of one sunk or disabled friendly after another and Reshi was feeling the stirrings of the memory of her last defeat. Biting her lip, she used the sharp pain to center herself and push the memories aside. As her forces continued to die around her however, she felt herself beginning to lose her grip.

Just when she thought she would break, exactly at the time specified in her plan, her sensors officer shouted jubilantly.

"Group Beta has jumped back!" The other woman cried. "They're directly behind the enemy fleet and has engaged it."

"M-Move in to englobe them!" Reshi ordered, forcefully pulling herself from the chains of memory that sought to drag her into the abyss. "We have them now! Let's finish this!"

It was not over just yet though. Seeing as they were about to be trapped between the crossfire of the two parts of Reshi's fleet, Anansi's fleet responded by attempting a desperate breakout by rushing the weaker Group Beta.

"Jump Group Gamma to support them now!"

The sudden microjump assisted repositioning completely negated Anansi's counterattack as the Spider's fleet suddenly found what they had hoped to be a weak point in their entrapment was bolstered by twice its number in ships. In face of that, the attack collapsed, its lead elements reduced to scrap. A turn of events that had Reshi breathing a sigh of relief.

"My lady, a hail from the enemy flagship."

"On screen."

A few seconds later, the central viewscreen was filled with the image of an elderly African woman.

"**I am Aso**," the woman said in the booming voice of the Goa'uld. "**And I would like to discuss my surrender.**"

"Order your ships to cease fire first and then we'll talk."

The woman frowned but turned to bark at someone offscreen, "**Cease fire! Order all ships to cease fire!**"

Reshi turned to her XO who nodded that the enemy had obeyed. Nodding back, she waited for her XO to begin relaying the order for their own ships to cease fire before returning her attention to the Goa'uld Fleet Lord.

"**Will you accept my surrender now?**"

"Yes, power down your weapons and prepare to be boarded. I trust you know the procedure, especially the consequences for treachery?"

_Thank the goddess this is over! _The Fleet Lord thought, relieved that the fighting was over at last. She tried to, and mostly succeeded, in keeping a straight face though, letting none of her relief slip into the stern visage she showed Aso.

"**May I know the name of the Goa'uld who has defeated me?**"

"I'm no Goa'uld," Reshi said blinking in confusion. "I'm human. Reshi, Fleet Lord of Albion, at your service."

Aso just looked at her with a flabbergasted expression at this confession.

* * *

In the Hogwarts system, where a desperate struggle was being waged between Nimue and Anansi's allied forces, Kalwart exited hyperspace in the system with a fleet of 127 Ha'tak, 362 Shel'tak and 2873 Al'kesh. The force had previously been en route from Hogwarts to the frontline worlds to reinforce their garrisons, but upon hearing the news that the former was under attack had immediately turned around.

Unfortunately it was clear that they were too late, as they exited hyperspace they were greeted with the sight of the planet besieged by a large enemy fleet.

"My lady, the enemy has gained orbital supremacy." Her sensors officer reported the obvious. Just one look at the visual display of Hogwarts was enough to tell her that. All around the planet were hundreds of enemy ships busily bombarding the surface or disgorging landing ships.

"Should we attack, my lady?" The Ship Lord of her flagship asked.

Kalwart was tempted. Oh, so sorely tempted. But the enemy fleet was almost six times larger than her own. Attacking it, as much as she wanted to, would be suicide. Thankfully, the enemy obligingly detached a much more reasonable target as a group of ships broke orbit and began vectoring towards her position.

"Numbers in that fleet?"

"205 Ha'tak, 417 Shel'tak and 3104 Al'kesh" Her sensors officer reported.

_Those are manageable odds. _Kalwart noted. _Though it would be better if we had some help._

"Where's the local garrison fleet? Did it survive?"

"They are further in system, my lady." Her XO said, looking up from her tablet. "They appear to be dealing with another enemy detachment."

_Further _in system_!? That doesn't make sense, unless… Did the garrison fleet lure them there? If so, don't the Goa'uld know how to utilize their superior numbers properly? _Kalwart thought with a shake of her head.

_They are probably trying to gain individual glory by destroying our individual fleets. _Kalise pointed out even as outwardly Kalwart ordered her fleet to draw the enemy detachment as far away from its main fleet as possible. _Bringing their full fleet to bear and taking us out would not give the individual Fleet Lords the glory they crave. _

_Plus the arrogant fools probably think it's unnecessary in the first place. _Aster added.

_Not that they're wrong, _Kalwart noted as she eyed the enemy main fleet apprehensively.

Before Kalwart's fleet could even engage with the enemy however, a brilliant light in high polar orbit of Hogwarts drew the eyes of everyone in the system.

"What was that!?"

"It's the _Pride of Albion_, my lady." Her XO shouted in an awestruck voice. "It's her Majesty!"

The massive new dreadnought was not alone however as surrounded it was no less than the largest armade Kalwart had ever seen. Glancing briefly to the tactical display at the side of the viewscreen, she was shocked by what she read.

_8161 Ha'tak, 19872 Shel'tak and 31575 Al'kesh! Mother must have gathered practically every ship she could find all along the frontlines into this one enormous fleet. _The daughter of Nimue mused in shock as the newly arrived fleet began engaging the enemy.

_Time to reap what you sow, you bastards. _

* * *

Launching from one of the many cavernous hangars aboard the the _Pride_, Char led her Mobile Suit squadron as they flew into the heart of the battle against the invaders.

So rich was the hunting in Hogwarts orbit that she had barely been in the void for a couple seconds when she spotted her first target. Just ahead of her was a lone Al'kesh bravely, or more accurately, suicidally attempting a solo bombing run on the Pride while its shields were partially down to launch its strike craft.

Pushing her engines hard, she surged ahead of her squadron and literally rammed into the foolish Al'kesh before repeatedly firing her Heavy Rotary Staff Cannon directly into its shields. The close range burst quickly overwhelmed the bomber's shields, easily tearing through the relatively thin armor underneath and into its vital systems.

Jumping off the doomed vessel, Char gunned her engines and narrowly escaped the explosion created by the bomber's magazine and power plant both going off in quick succession. She did not get much time to celebrate her kill however, before her wingman's voice called out to her over the comms.

"Flight Leader, unknown bogeys inbound."

Glancing at her instruments she sees two relatively fast moving blips heading towards her position even as her squadron closed with her positions. Turning to face the unknowns in a bid to see just what she was about to kill, Char was shocked to see no less than a pair of enemy machines that look liked midget Mobile Suits flying towards her squadron with their trio of linked Rotary Staff Cannons blazing.

"Are those supposed to be Mobile Suits?" The blonde asked herself incredulously even as she used her superior maneuverability to swerve out of the way as the two bogeys flew pass her. "Are you kidding me?"

"It certainly looks that way, mam." Her wingman said sounding just as disbelieving.

"Whatever! They're the enemy. Take them out."

Char was met with an enthusiastic chorus of agreement as her whole squadron unleashed their fury on the two mockeries of their own machines and in seconds reduced them to scrap.

"So much for that rubbish."

"Mam, look at the _Pride_!" The rookie in her squadron shouted.

Worried that their mothership was under attack, Char turned towards the massive dreadnought to see it just as she left it, happily blasting away at the enemy with the full fury of its many guns as it sailed unrivaled through the void.

"Wha-"

Char cut herself off when she saw what had the newbie in a tizzy. A massive lightning storm was brewing _in space_ around the ship's central pyramid, a storm that with a thunderous boom she could hear in her very soul suddenly transformed into a single massive lightning bolt that streaked down to Hogwarts.

"W-What was that?" The rookie said, shocked.

"That, kiddo, is our goddess." Char said, a sense of knowing telling her that she was correct. "And she's _pissed_."

* * *

Down on the besieged planet itself, Ma'toc found himself part of the ragged forces holding the final defensive line just outside of what used to be his liege's personal quarters in the Water Palace. He was spraying suppression fire on a squad of Ares' Jaffa attempting to advance on their position when a urgent beeping alerted him to an incoming priority message.

Ducking back into cover behind a trinium statue of some kind of mythical thunderbird that they had taken as a spoil from Susanoo's palace when they defeated him, Ma'toc watched as a Stormtrooper slightly further down the hall stepped out from behind a wall to replace him and laid down a hail of plasma fire with his Rotary Staff Cannon. Satisfied that the enemy were still being held at bay, he was about to call the message up when an ecstatic comms trooper crawled up to him.

"Master Ma'toc, her Majesty's here!" The soldier said happily. "And she's brought an absolutely massive fleet with her."

Ma'toc couldn't help it. He breathed a sigh of relief at the news. _Our deliverance is here._

Suddenly the air all around them suddenly became charged with static.

"W-What's going on?" The previously cheerful comms trooper asked, suddenly fearful. "Is it a new enemy weapon?"

"No, son." Ma'toc reassured him with a smile. "It's just our Lady being angry. Very, very angry."

The younger Jaffa opened his mouth to say something, but whatever he was about to say was drowned out by the sound of a ear splitting crack of thunder as a massive bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky and obliterated the enemy forces down the hall from his position.

Popping his head around the trinium statue, Ma'toc was faced with a sight straight out of legend. Standing in the middle of a crater of glass, was his liege, now a being of living lightning in the vague shape of her normal form.

This elemental of raw power turned her gaze to look at him searchingly for a moment and he nodded, more on reflex than anything else, back at her.

She breathed a sigh of relief at this before turning her attention to the enemy Jaffa who were now understandably all panicking and fleeing in terror.

"**NO FOOL WORSHIPPER OF FALSE GODS WILL EVER STEP FOOT IN THE ROOMS WALKED BY MY BELOVED!"** The goddess declared, her voice like thunder and echoing down to the very souls of all those who heard her.

With a wave of her hand she sent a wave raw _power _streaming through the halls of the Water Palace that disintegrated all the hapless enemy Jaffa within.

All around him Ma'toc could see his men gasp and fall to their knees before their goddess. Hazarding a glance out a window, he was unsurprised to see the enemy Jaffa there had thrown away their weapons and prostrated themselves in surrender and veneration.

Ma'toc couldn't blame them, looking at Nimue as she stood there as a living mass of lightning and radiating raw power on a scale he never even thought imaginable, it was hard to remember that she made no claims of godhood.

_If she's not a goddess, then I honestly don't know what is. _The veteran Jaffa thought as he too fell to one knee before his divine sovereign.

* * *

**Done!**

**Wow! I think this might be the longest, most drawn out battle of this series so far. As such I am actually quite proud of that. Tell me what you guys think of it though, was it good?**

**So points to discuss… Hmm…**

**First, Goa'uld Mobile Suits. Yeah, they have them but unlike Nimue's they are crude as hell being more as has been described oversized power armor than the MS that she employs. Why do the Goa'uld get MS? Well, they are known for imitating/reverse engineering the technology of others, so it would only stand to reason they would copy Nimue's MS especially once they proved effective.**

**Secondly, Nimue's powers. It's just Ascended powers really. Very powerful Ascended powers but just Ascended powers. Just because she's worshiped as the patron goddess of billions and as part of a race of gods by many billions, possibly trillions, more thus making her uber powerful doesn't make her powers any different from other Ascended. Her being a unique breed of Ascended does allow her to use this power more freely than the Others though, hence her lightning show at the end of the chapter.**

**Well that's it for this chapter I think, so see you next time. Till then, ciao!**


	25. The Just Lady

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 18: The Just Lady**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Inside her private offices within the damaged halls of the Water Palace on Hogwarts, Kalwart, daughter of Nimue and Prime Minister of the Albion Stellar Empire was hard at work. Despite the massive battle that the palace had been the scene of just days earlier, Kalwart's private offices were largely untouched thanks to the magical wards she's layered her quarters in. Thus the many valuable paintings and other works of art that adorned her walls, some the last vestiges of civilizations unfortunately crushed by the Goa'uld that she kept in remembrance of their lost creators, were safe. Everything in her quarters from the wallpaper, murals, and furnishings were all art pieces. A symbolic reminder to her of the passion she had given up for duty.

This symbolism of course also applied to the computer on which she was currently working. It was a machine built by Baltet himself, it was made to last the test of time whilst still operating at the highest possible levels of efficiency, and encased in a trinium-bronze alloy frame decorated by beautiful etchings depicting a lush lakeside garden.

Not that Kalwart had the time to appreciate any of these since the battle. She had been far too busy helping to oversee recovery efforts for such simple pleasures. Fortunately, things were finally settling down as the panic of the battle faded and the local leadership began stepping up to take the reins once more. As such she'd been able to switch gears and actually tend to her own duties instead. Particularly handling correspondence from foreign powers, namely the belated warnings about Anansi's plans from Nirrti and Moloc. Though this did little to improve her mood. Quite the contrary, it incensed her instead.

_The bastards waited for the outcome of the attack _then _informed us._

_Yes, and we should make them pay for that. _Aster, her human half, urged.

_Perhaps, but not now. _Kalise, her Goa'uld half, countered. _We do not need to unnecessary enemies at the moment._

Kalwart rubbed the bridge of her nose as she leaned back and considered their options. What course of action should she suggest to her mother?

"For now at least, we'll be cautious." The Albionian Prime Minister concluded after a moment. "But when the time is right, vengeance will be ours."

Her compromise seemed to appease both halves of her personality and she turned back to work. Closing the messages from the two System Lords, she skimmed through the rest of her inbox and frowned. It was almost all casualty reports from the recent engagements.

Running her finger down the side of the touch sensitive hardlight display, she was halfway down the first page when a new communique from Sokar caught her attention.

_Another request for an alliance?_ The daughter of Nimue thought with a frustrated groan. The exiled System Lord was persistent if nothing else.

_We might as well humor him. _Kalise suggested.

_It would make better reading than the grim tallies of our dead, injured and missing._

_You're right Aster. It would be a welcome alternative indeed. _

With that in mind, Kalwart opened the message from Sokar. She had barely read the first couple lines before her eyes widened in shock. Forcing herself to finish the whole missive to be sure of its contents, the daughter of Nimue allowed an excited grin to spread across her face as it said what she'd thought it did.

Having finished reading, she immediately jumped to her feet and rushed out of her rooms.

_Mother. I have to find Mother at once!_

* * *

The planet Londinium was the current throne world of the Mother Empress Nimue and thus the capital of the Albion Stellar Empire. A hidden world established by its sovereign during her time as a Goa'uld System Lord, it had developed far differently from the typical Goa'uld world. Instead of being populated with a people living on subsistence agriculture clustered around a handful of cities, Londinium was a world of sprawling cities, massive industrial complexes, massive industrial farms of various types that stretched for huge tracts of land and lush, carefully tended wilderness.

The crown jewel of this world was the New Water Palace, the Mother Empress' home. A veritable city of opulent halls, towers and keeps built around parklands, lakes and other wonders. Surrounding the outer walls of this palace was Morgan, capital city of the planet. This city was modeled after its liege's ancient memories of late 20th century London though without the various motorways that characterized its inspirational source. Instead its buildings were separated by winding alleys and foot paths, with mass transportation provided by the many Ring Platforms scattered throughout the city and a underground maglev rail network to transport bulkier goods.

Along one of Morgan's many back alleys was a pub known as the Voidman's Cove, a favorite haunt for Albion naval personnel. It was a place that would not have looked out of place in any small English town, not that its occupants knew nor likely cared for the comparison. Loutal definitely didn't as he tapped his mug of beer against Reshi's own.

"Congratulations again on your promotion," the Fleet Lord said with a genuine smile as they sat in their own little private booth, that and their rank as denoted by their uniforms providing them a little privacy in the rowdy pub.

"That's the tenth time, at least, that you're said that." His female companion said with a roll of her eyes. "You don't need to keep mentioning it."

"It's better than thinking about all our dead friends," he replied bluntly.

_I'm usually not so blunt. Guess, the alcohol has loosened my tongue. _Loutal thought even as he flinched at what he'd said.

"I suppose," Reshi said looking away as she took a sip from her own mug of beer.

The two Fleet Lords of the Albion Navy had met up tonight to mourn the losses the recent battles against Anansi and his allies had cost them. With countless friends, colleagues and subordinates lost, there was plenty to mourn about.

"You know you don't always have to look out for me," Reshi said suddenly. "I'm not your commanding officer anymore. Haven't been for a while."

"I know, but you're still my friend." Loutal replied. "And it's good to look out for friends. Besides, this isn't all for you. As they say, misery loves company. And I need help mourning the dead."

"Why me though? Surely, you have other friends who could keep you company?"

Loutal shrugged. He did. But when the thought of spending some time remembering the fallen had come up, his first thought for a companion had been Reshi. Maybe it was because it had become something of a habit for him to seek her out whenever he had the chance, a byproduct of his desire to as she said 'look out' for his former commanding officer. He didn't know and he didn't care. All he knew was that he liked her company and that was that. He told her as much.

"Oh," the woman said with a slight blush.

_Now what's she thinking in that pretty little head of hers? _Loutal thought with a smile, before his mind screeched to a halt. _Pretty!? Since when have I thought of her as pretty?_

Sure, Reshi was beautiful. With her luscious raven black hair, alluring green eyes and feminine figure, he would be an idiot to think otherwise. However, he'd previously only understood that on an intellectual level. But now sitting in the Voidman's Cove with her and watching her guzzle down beer like the seasoned voidsailor that she was, he was perhaps for the first time struck by the _understanding _of just how lovely she looked.

This new revelation stewed in his mind for the rest of the night as they continued drinking heavily, occasionally stopping to call out names of lost friends and short phrases to remember them by. All the while, getting more and more drunk.

"A-And ta all the c-comrades we didn't know but died f-fighting the good fight," Rehsi said in a drunken stutter as she offered one last toast for the night.

"Hear, hear," Loutal returned, clinking his mug against hers.

Together the two Fleet Lords gulped down the last of their drinks.

"T-That's it for me, I think." Reshi said as she shimmied out of their booth to stand. "Any more and I might not be able to make it home."

"Same," Loutal agreed as he too stood. "Walk with you to the Rings Station?"

"Sure."

Holding onto each other lightly to keep their balance, the two senior naval officers staggered their way out of the pub and down the street to the Rings Transporter Station a block away. They walked in companionable silence. Loutal distracting himself with thoughts of lost friends so as to not notice the way Reshi was leaning against him for support was pressing her very attractive body firmly into his side.

Thankfully for his composure it wasn't a particularly long walk and they soon reached the Ring Station and joined the queue of other late night revelers waiting their turn at one of its dozen Rings. By which time Reshi seemed to have regained enough of her balance to stand on her own, though she did so with -Was he imagining it?- a disappointed frown.

"So what are you going to do when you get back to your quarters?" She asked him suddenly, pulling him from the ludicrous direction his thoughts had headed.

"Uh, sleep I guess." Loutal replied reflexively. "I'm exhausted."

To his confusion, this seemed to prompt Reshi to take a deep breath and blush a deep crimson.

"So, um, I think the memories of lost friends will haunt me tonight." She said sounding uncharacteristically nervous. "I'd really prefer if I wasn't alone."

"Huh?" Loutal replied, oh so eloquently, as he blinked at her in confusion.

A few snickers could be heard from the crowd around them but neither Fleet Lord paid them any mind. They had only eyes for each other at the moment.

Reshi just looked at him in shock for a moment, before blushing even harder -something he hadn't been sure was even possible- and clarified her intentions.

"Would you like to come back to my quarters with me tonight?"

Feeling a blush on his own face, Loutal could only nod. It was the right response though as a beatific smile sketched itself across Reshi's face at his reply.

* * *

Drake sat back on the command throne of the _New Golden Hind_ as it and his fleet of 96 Ha'tak, 486 Shel'tak and 450 Al'kesh was dropped off within striking distance of Kur's throne world of Irkalla by the _Pride of Albion_ and its space fold drive.

"My lord, the _Pride _has folded away." His XO informed him a moment later. "Its Ship Lord says 'Good hunting.'"

"I'll send him my thanks when I next see him," Drake commented airily. "For now, let's get down to business. Jump us into the system. It's time for some righteous vengeance!"

"Yes, my lord!" His bridge crew roared.

Moments later, he and his fleet disappeared from normal space en route to Irkalla.

* * *

At roughly the same time, light years away on the world of Sparta, Herion smiled wickedly as he roughly pulled the Goa'uld System Lord Ares out of his safe room and dragged him towards the Chappa'ai past squads of his men who were securing the System Lord's palace.

The cowardly System Lord was grovelling and begging for his life but Herion just sent him a glare.

"Oh shut up," the Jaffa said kicking the bastard in his side. "Nothing you say will save you from the justice that's coming for you. It's time to pay for your crimes."

In response, the System Lord quailed.

* * *

A week after the massive battle that waged around and on the planet, Hogwarts was still very much in a state of recovery. Many of its numerous parklands had been converted into tent cities as refugees driven out of their homes by the destruction caused by the battle sought shelter.

It was in one such refugee camp that Ruilan stood, one member of a large crowd, as they all surrounded a holographic display set up in the middle of the park. Usually said display broadcasted the news but today that had been replaced by a special broadcast beamed directly from the New Water Palace.

A broadcast which showed the Mother Empress Nimue seated on a throne atop a raised dais and flanked by Ma'toc and Herion. She looked every bit like a goddess sitting in judgement as she looked down with disdain at the Goa'uld System Lords Kur, Atum, Ares and Vritra as they knelt at the foot of her dias while dressed in bright orange jumpsuits.

"Death," the goddess said in voice which rang with authority. "For your unprovoked act of aggression against the Albion Stellar Empire and for the loss of countless lives in this undeclared war there can be only one sentence: death."

With her judgement passed, Ladies Eldarose and Kalwart stepped forward from outside the screen on either side to loom over two of the condemned each. Acting in perfect tandem, the twin ladies carried out the executions.

Lady Eldarose conjured orbs of acid around Kur and Atum that melted them alive, their screams echoing through the broadcast as the acid ate away at their gags and gave them voice for one final time in their lives. Lady Kalwart meanwhile had created energy constructs in the shape of thorny vines that she used to strangle Ares and Vritra. In contrast, these two didn't scream but the way their faces slowly turned blue was just as satisfying. Even more so when the lady had her vines dig into their bodies and dragged out the struggling Goa'uld parasites' true bodies and ripped them to pieces.

Through it all, the crowd cheered. Joining the billions of Albion citizens across the nation as they watched righteous judgement be passed on those who had wronged them. Ruilan didn't cheer, it was unprofessional to do so when she was technically still on duty helping to guard the camp, but she did allow herself a smile of grim satisfaction as she watched the hated System Lords die.

She'd expected the death of the four meant that the show was over. It was common knowledge that despite the best efforts of the Armed Forces and Intelligence, Anansi had managed to escape capture. As such, there was no one else to execute. So she was as surprised as the rest of the crowd when suddenly a contingent of Sokar's Necropolis Guard in their red armor and horned helmets appeared on screen and brought forward a bound and gagged Anansi which they proceeded to hand over to a squad of Lake Knights that had moved in front of the dias.

At the sight of the hated mastermind of their latest misfortune, Ruilan, along with the rest of the crowd, waited with eager anticipation to see what gruesome fate their goddess would bestow upon the fool.

It was in this hushed atmosphere that they watched the Mother Empress make a hooking gesture with her finger that caused the gag in Anansi's mouth to fly out. The old man took a moment to adjust his jaw before proving himself a coward.

"Nimue," he said offering as respectful a bow as he could manage in his bonds. "I know what you intend. But spare me and you have much to gain."

He waited for a response and received none but a long, piercing glare.

Swallowing nervously as the silence dragged on, he finally continued.

"I have many secrets of our fellow System Lords. Secrets from the likes of even Sokar, the ungrateful fool who captured me like a common criminal instead of treating me as a valuable asset. All of which I would be all too eager to share with you if you let me live. Surely, you will not the same mistake as he did?"

The goddess' reply was to wave a hand in his direction, a gesture that sent a lightning bolt screaming across the room and into his open mouth before proceeding to fry him alive.

The crowd erupted into cheers at the sight but quickly quieted as the Mother Empress stood.

"My subjects," she said regally. "Justice has been served today."

Nods abounded in the crowd and Ruilan gave her own, even as murmurs of agreement spread through it as well.

"But," her Empress said in a raised voice silencing her subjects. "It is not complete. The Goa'uld Empire, of which these five _criminals _were a part still stands. Until the day it is toppled, justice will not be fully served. As such from this day forth, we, the Albion Stellar Empire, will not rest till we see it wiped from the stars! This I pledge!"

Her pronouncement was met by rapturous cheers from the crowd.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of her new machine, Char finished the final checks on its systems.

"All green?" Lord Beltat asked from the open comms link.

"Yes sir," Char reported dutifully as she dismissed the last of the diagnostic reports.

"Good, good." Her superior said with a pleased smile. "Please remember to keep me informed, as far as possible, as to the machine's performance. This new Mobile Armor's development was rushed, so there might be some issues that were overlooked."

"I will, sir." The pilot reassured the scientist. "May I have permission to launch?"

"Of course," the Goa'uld said with a nod. "Fly safely."

With that he cut the comm link and his image was replaced by the launch instructions. It was the standard fare and Char only briefly skimmed through it, waiting in anticipation as the countdown to launch ticked away.

As the timer finally reached zero she gunned her engines even as the magnetized rails of the launch bay accelerated her machine even further, allowing her to clear the hundreds of meter long track in seconds and firing her new Vengeance-class mobile armor out into the void like a bullet.

She zoomed around the asteroid that the base she'd launched from was built into until she came to a stop directly over the complex itself and took a moment to once more admire the machine she'd been given the honor to test.

It was thrice the size of her old Rifleman and had a vaguely humanoid torso but massively oversized shoulders and a long narrow tubular lower body. Its arms ended not in hands but a set of three fingered claws and it lacked legs altogether. All across its crimson body were an array of weapons ports that housed the many plasma casters and beam arrays that constituted its large arsenal. It even carried a ship grade shield, made possible by its larger size, that greatly increased its durability.

Satisfied with her inspection, she turned to admire the view before her. All around her were the glittering lights from the massive shipyards that extended all further than her eyes could see which were beautifully contrasted by the darkness of the black hole in the far distance but which still dominating the view. This was The Kiln, Albion's primary shipyard, built in a safe stable orbit of the Slytherin black hole and kept hidden from detection by the clouds of exotic particles created by the periodic emissions of its parent celestial body.

Turning away from the scenery Char allowed the Vengeance to cruise over the yards and observed with pride the many ships of various classes in different stages of construction and the constant flow of dozens of outdated Ha'tak serving as troopships offloading thousands of new personnel to crew them that had been recruited from the intense recruitment drives and the fleets and armies of the defeated System Lords.

Movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see three Mel'tak form up with their escorts. Bringing her machine to a stop, she held her position and offered the fleets a salute as they expanded their fold bubbles and one by one disappeared in bursts of light.

"Give those Goa'uld scum hell!"

* * *

**And that's this chapter and arc done!**

**So a lot of people are misunderstanding why Anansi showed off the stored ships on Hull. There was _never _a plan to steal them, that would be too low reward for any but the most desperate System Lord. No, that was just a lure. A demonstration of the potential riches his prospective allies would get if they joined him. What they sought was the total subsumption of Nimue's domain. They are Goa'uld System Lords so they will think like such. Their plan therefore follows the pattern of behavior for such and centered around defeating Nimue and then assimilating her worlds and forces between them, like they would have done with the assets of any other System Lord. They wouldn't waste any of their limited resources (they are all expressly stated to be rather weak) just to secure a handful of ships when _everything she owned_ was up for grabs.**

**In hindsight, it might have been interesting for at least Anansi to make a go at stealing a few stored ships for it but as you can see in this chapter he doesn't have a chance now. Plus even if he did want to, where would he have found the extra resources to make such an attempt?**

**Anyways, next time I know to be more clear in my explanation of things. As a fix for this, I made a edit to Chapter 15 that should eliminate this confusion for future readers.  
**

**On another note, hope you enjoyed the chapter.  
**

**This chapter was a pretty self-explanatory wrap up to the arc so not much to add. Just wanted to say that writing the fluff scene between Reshi and Loutal was surprisingly fun. Fluff is most definitely **_**not **_**my forte. So that was interesting enough for me to want to comment on it. How was it in your opinion? Was it as fun to read as it ended up being for me to write?**

**And lastly, just to help people visualize it the Vengeance is the AMX-002 Neue Ziel from in the **_**OVA Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory**_**. It's one of my favorite mecha designs from the whole franchise so since I can, I included it.**

**Well that's it for now. Till next time, peace out!**


	26. Interlude: A living storm, really?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: A living storm, really!?**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Today we'll take a break from looking at the various galactic powers to discuss the recent viral video of my friend Nimue becoming a living lightning storm and obliterating her enemies. I won't link the video here, mainly because it's a supposed to be a state secret and Nimue is _very, very angry_ at the leak. If you're the guy who leaked it, _run_. I'm not joking, run. Nimue is out for blood. I don't understand why, but she is, so just run.

Anyways, back to the video itself.

Well, as someone who has actually seen my friend use the upper limits of her power as an Ascended Being I must say that's actually a little underwhelming. She can do a lot more than just that, well she could if the Others didn't forbid her from doing so. That and her conscience aka her wife, Ganos Lal. Nimue is probably my dearest friend, but even I, and she herself, will admit that she can be an amoral monster at times. Thankfully, her wife has a much stronger moral compass and keeps her from acting on her darker impulses.

Well that aside, whenever I watch the video or Nimue decides to spend an afternoon as a living thunderbolt -which mind you, is disturbingly often-, I can't help but ask myself why. Why did she choose lightning? Or as Nimue keeps correcting me, a storm? Seriously, Nimue have you looked in a mirror when you're like that? You're totally a lightning elemental not a storm elemental, but I digress.

As an Ascended Being she could have chosen to assume any form she wanted to. She could have attuned her nature to just about anything. But she chose a storm, why? She claims it's because a storm is one of the most destructive expressions of the power of her base element, water, but I don't buy it. There are other destructive manifestations of water's power, like tsunamis and water jets. Personally I think she chose a storm and a lightning storm specifically as a homage to the long lost scar that was symbolic of the events that set her on the path that led her to become what she is today.

Heck, even Ganos agrees with me. So Nimue stop being annoying and denying it. And yes, I'm totally hiding behind Ganos on this one. She's less squishy than me.

* * *

**Comments (10,389)**

* * *

**Bart the Rascal **(Moderator)

I'm pining another comments thread up top again. I assure you that this is just as amusing as the last one. Remember that the Lady Nimue insists we speak proper English, so I've edited out the net lingo, if any, in accordance with her request.

* * *

****Nimue ****(Verified Mother Empress, the Queen of Storms)

Very funny, Hermione. I'm _so_ getting you back for this post.

* * *

**Ganos Lal **(Verified Ascended Wife)

Darling, leave Hermione alone. It's just a joke. No need to be so sensitive.

P.S. What's with my tag?

* * *

**Hermione Granger** (The galaxy's greatest blogger)

Nimue: I'm totally running away now. You've gotta catch me.

Ganos Lal: I honestly have no idea. My cousin Bart moderates the comments section, he's the one who added the tags.

* * *

**Ganos Lal **(Verified Ascended Wife)

Your cousin is being quite cheeky but it's harmless fun so it's fine.

On another note, you might want to avoid coming over for a while. Nimue wasn't kidding when she said she'd be getting back at you.

* * *

**Hermione Granger** (The galaxy's greatest blogger)

Noted. I'll be going back to Earth to visit the family then. Let me know when Nimue calms down.

* * *

**Ganos Lal **(Verified Ascended Wife)

Will do. Enjoy your trip.

* * *

**Nimue** (Verified Mother Empress, the Queen of Storms)

Both of you know I follow this blog too, right?

* * *

**Ganos Lal **(Verified Ascended Wife)

So? Are you going to do anything to Hermione? If you are, then you're sleeping alone the rest of the month

* * *

**Nimue** (Verified Mother Empress, the Queen of Storms)

… Yes dear.

Hermione: I'll let you off. This time.

* * *

Yeah… I wish you luck cousin, hope you get out of this one alright.


	27. Reactions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 19: Reactions**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Trigger warnings: Public nudity, mentions of public sex**

Egeria walked towards the conference room in the latest Tok'ra hideout, an underground complex built through the use of some crystal technology based off a novel application of Goa'uld computing crystal technology, specifically a hyper acceleration of the methods they used to produce the crystals in the first place. Seeing this innovation for the first time had brought great joy to her, it was a sign that her children were evolving.

_Now if only they evolved a fashion sense too. _San'ark, her human host, snarked.

As much as Egeria wanted to defend her children, she had to agree. Their preference for dull greens and greys and for simple almost tribal garments might have been a statement against Goa'uld hedonism but it was highly unflattering. Surely they could have made their statement while still maintaining some sense of style!

That was a minor pet peeve though and she set it aside as she entered the conference room to begin a discussion on the recent events with the rest of the Tok'ra High Council. There were more important things at hand, she could return to thinking about how to convince them to update their choice of clothing later.

With that conviction in mind, she took her seat at the head of the table as Supreme High Councilor. A post she'd been granted immediately upon her return in a fit of euphoria, though she knows second thoughts about that decision were emerging.

Some of them, as led by Selmak and his host Jacob Carter, were of the opinion that she should take on a more ceremonial role and leave active decision making to the more or less democratically elected Councilors. She understood this sentiment and thus tended to abstain from participating in any actual decision making. That said, she wasn't about to become a mere figurehead. As the Tok'ra's Queen she was the one responsible for the continuation of their cause and lineage, she thus had an obligation to maintain a voice on the Council.

_Egeria! You're thinking too loud again! _San'ark complained in their shared mind.

The Tok'ra responded with a burst of amusement and received one of annoyance in return.

_You know I hate these meetings. _Her human half replied. _Let me get some rest please! It was me, not you, who was up all night._

_I didn't hear you complaining this morning when you had one last round before your paramour left. _

_That then was then and now is now. I'm tired _now_, so let me rest._

_Oh, alright. I'll try not to disturb you. _Egeria sent back, greatly amused by her host's youthful antics. Not that she blamed her for them. San'ark _was _only in her early twenties. _Rest well._

She had finished her internal conversation just in time it seemed as Per'sus, whose host was a middle aged Caucasian man, was standing to address the Council. Her son was her predecessor as Supreme High Councilor and now served as Speaker to allow him to continue serving as the Council's de-facto leader. A good compromise in her opinion that allowed her to take on his previous role while maintaining a continuity of leadership and retaining his talents.

"Councilors," Per'sus said addressing the Council. "As I am sure you're all aware Nimue, Yu and now even Sokar have all formally declared their domains as states fully independent from the Goa'uld Empire. In light of this unprecedented development, I would like to hear your opinions."

"I do not see this as being anything more than symbolic moves on their part." Delek, blended with a man who if Egeria recalled correctly was from the same tribe as Per'sus' host, opined. "I do not believe that this amounts to anything in practical terms."

Garshaw, whose host was a older brunette woman, shook her head in disagreement even as she replied, "It does have implications on our relations with them."

"Not with Sokar," Selmak pointed out. "However he styles himself and his domain, it does not change the fact that he is an unmitigated monster and thus our enemy."

There was unanimous agreement to this from the entire Council.

"And what of Yu?" Ren'al, whose host was a attractive short haired woman, asked. "Some of his policies are in alignment with our stances on things. Yet, others are in clear opposition. Perhaps now that he's separated himself from the Empire and we no longer need to paint him with the same brush, we can instead seek to influence him over to our thinking?"

"I do not feel that is possible." Thoran said as he shook his lanky, dark skinned host's head. "While we indeed agree with Yu on many things, he ultimately still behaves too much akin to a traditional Goa'uld. I fear that no amount of persuasion will change that."

"Perhaps. But with Yu there is at least a chance to sway him to a more fair and egalitarian way of ruling." The round faced, blonde Malek countered. "He had after all experimented with such in the past, before Ra put an end to the attempt."

"My experience might be woefully out of date," Egeria chimed in. "But based on my personal interactions with him, Yu is pragmatic beyond fault. If we can convince him of the obvious virtue in our way of things, he will embrace it."

"Even if we did convince him to change, he'd still be a Goa'uld tyrant." Selmak pointed out. "I do not see any scenario where he would willingly step down from power."

"Your opinions are noted, Councilors." Per'sus spoke, putting an end to discussion on the matter for now. "Perhaps a compromise is in order? We could take a neutral stance with Yu for now by halting operations in his territory for the time being. Simultaneously, we can covertly attempt to sway him to a more egalitarian style of governance through more passive means."

"And what would this more passive approach entail?" Gershaw inquired.

"We have several agents among his Underlords," Dalek said turning to Per'sus. "Might you be suggesting that they approach Yu for permission to restart his old experiments in increased egalitarianism and prove their effectiveness?"

Per'sus nodded.

"Such an approach will take a long time." Selmak noted. "Those experiments, even if they succeed which is not guaranteed, will take years to yield convincing results."

"That might be for the best," Ren'al offered. "We do not need to antagonize Yu now, when our goals seem more aligned than ever before. We do not need to alienate a potential ally."

"I would not be so generous in my description of Yu," Thoran stated flintily. Unsurprising since he, Egeria had learned, had some rather unpleasant experiences while spying in the former System Lord's court. "However, I broadly agree with Per'sus' suggested approach to dealing with him."

"Does anyone dissent to the suggestion?" Egeria asked in her role as ceremonial chair of the Council.

No one said anything though Selmak did not look pleased with the outcome.

"Then as agreed we shall take a neutral stance towards Yu for now." Per'sus said, concluding discussion on that topic. "Moving on, what is the opinion of the Council on Nimue?"

At the mention of her liege, Egeria felt San'ark's previously sleepy consciousness stir to full alertness inside their shared mind.

"We should form an alliance with her," Egeria said immediately, even as her host urged her on. "Not only did she save me and thus by extension or entire race, but she is also the fount of our very driving ideology."

"No offense, mother, but I find that hard to believe." Selmak said skeptically. "Even if we share the same goals of overthrowing the Goa'uld Empire for the sake of freeing its oppressed masses, something which I already doubt is anything more than propaganda on her part, there is still the matter of the very different approach Nimue has taken in comparison to our own to achieve this aim."

"I assure you that Nimue's aims are no mere propaganda." Egeria asserted. "She is determined in her goal of overthrowing the Goa'uld and to establish a system where all sapient beings have the greatest possible opportunities in their lives."

"And yet she has been party to a multitude of heinous atrocities over the millennia." Per'sus rebutted. "Does that not make her intent questionable?"

_That fool! _San'ark snarled, deeply riled up by Per'sus' words. _Lady Nimue _always _went out of her way to reduce casualties._

"And so has our movement," Egeria said heatedly, fueled not only by San'ark's ire but her own. Her children were being hypocrites! "Or have we forgotten the death of countless beings we have caused and written off as collateral damage in our own campaigns against the Goa'uld?"

"The issue, mother, is a matter of scale." Gershaw argued. "Besides she is responsible for the death of many of our brethren who attempted to infiltrate her ranks or were infiltrated among the ranks of the enemies she crushed. All of which were killed without distinction or even an attempt at such."

"I do not disagree with that," Egeria conceded. "Nimue's fight against the Goa'uld has also been on a vastly greater scale than ours has. She chose to fight it as a System Lord within the Empire, while we fought it as guerrillas from the shadows. Of course, the scale of collateral damage caused by her fight would be greater. Collateral damage that considering circumstance invariably includes the death of some of our kind."

"I must agree with mother on this," Malek said tentatively. "Besides, setting aside concerns of her morality and goals there's the simple fact of her capabilities to consider. With her crushing defeat of Anansi and his coalition, not to mention the overwhelming advantage in mobility of her new space folding hyperdrive, Nimue has become too powerful for us to antagonize."

_The Lady is unbeatable! _San'ark crowed, much to Egeria's amusement.

"Malek is correct," Ren'al pointed out. "There is also the issue that we would be hampered in any efforts to fight her in any case. We have _never _been able to embed any of our agents into positions of true power within her hierarchy."

"In light of all these points, we should at least be reaching out to Nimue for if not an alliance then an non-aggression agreement."

Per'sus, Delek, Selmak remained unconvinced and Gershaw looked undecided.

"It appears that this discussion is getting us nowhere." Per'sus said after surveying the room. "Let us vote on Thoran's proposal."

As expected Per'sus, Delek, Selmak voted against the proposal while Gershaw abstained. This left only Ren'al and Egeria, Malek voting in favour with Thoran as the proposer being unable to vote.

"It is a tie," Per'sus announced. "And as per standard procedure we shall shelve the matter for now and maintain the status quo which amounts to low-key opposition to Nimue."

Egeria was deeply frustrated with this outcome. They were willing to soften their approach to Yu but not Nimue!? Her friend had done more for her children simply by rescuing her then _anyone_ had for millennia and was receiving no reward for it! This was ludicrous!

A quick glance around the conference room showed her that her frustrations, though perhaps not her reasons, were shared by others on the Council. Thoran, Ren'al and Malek all looked as annoyed with the turn of events as she was.

_I'll need to talk to them. _Egeria reasoned. _Work out some way to convince the others, starting with Gershaw._

"Onto the next matter," Per'sus said ignoring the tense atmosphere that the vote had created. "Selmak, please brief the Council on the Tau'ri, Asgard and Chiropteran reactions to recent developments."

"Thank you, Per'sus." Selmak said politely as he stood. "Before I begin, I would like to preface things by stressing that everything I'm about to say is based off Tau'ri reports, that is to say the Asgard and Chiropteran reactions are second hand accounts."

The Council were all nodding in understanding when the meeting was interrupted by a lower ranked Tok'ra rushing into the room.

"Councilors! The picket buoys have detected up an incoming hyperspace transit." The Tok'ra, Marnon who wore the body of a stout Asian man, informed them breathlessly.

"This meeting is adjourned!" Per'sus said as he jumped to his feet. "Begin an evacuation immediately!"

Marnon nodded and ran back out of the room, presumably to spread the word.

"This is our third evacuation this month," Egeria observed with some concern. "Someone is clearly actively hunting us."

"That does appear to be the case," Selmak agreed, as they all filed out of the room.

"Of course it is," Gerhaw said dismissively. "There's _always _someone hunting us!"

* * *

Thor was on one of his rare visits to Othala, the Asgard homeworld, and would have enjoyed some time to, as his friend Colonel Jack O'Neill would say, 'kick back and relax'. With the war with the Replicators going exceptionally well and for the first time in eons a chance for real victory at hand, the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet had actually managed to arrange some shore leave for himself. Of course, the High Council just _had _to arrange for a meeting during his precious break from the fighting.

Thus it was with thinly veiled annoyance that Thor sat in his assigned seat in the Council Chambers. An annoyance that just grew as he was forced to hear his fellow Councilors take turns expressing concerns about the recent Chiropteran aggressiveness against the Goa'uld. He knows that the recent Chiropteran offensive reminded them of the Extinction War but it nevertheless infuriated him that they were continuing to distrust their allies who had done nothing but help his people since their revival.

A sentiment he knew was increasingly shared by the members of the Asgard Fleet. Unlike the Councilors, his men were out in the void risking their lives fighting the Replicators and had experienced firsthand how the keron disruptor tech shared by the Chiropterans had changed everything. They were thus deeply unhappy about how the Council seemed adamant on refusing to acknowledge this point.

He was pulled from his thoughts as his interest was piqued by one of his fellow Councilors seeming to actually share his opinion.

"This continued animosity against the Chiropterans is absurd," Penegal insisted sounding exasperated. "They have helped us in innumerable ways for decades now! How long are we going to hold on to the ancient prejudices from the Extinction War?"

"Perhaps you forget Penegal," Vidar countered disparagingly. "That before the Extinction War, the Genestealers were seen as a benevolent elder race by the peoples of the Milky Way as well. It was only as the War began that they became monsters."

Vidar punctuated this statement by calling up a video from the Extinction War which showed a massive swarm of insectoid biomechanical monsters anchored by a truly immense beast the size of a ship decimating a whole battalion of Asgard warriors and consuming the dead of both sides even as they kept fighting.

"These 'Chiropterans' are the descendants of the monsters who were capable of things like this." Vidar said gesturing to the video playing on a loop. "And you would have us help them even more than we already have?"

Thor could see the logic in his peers' thinking, but also could not help but think that such distrust would only breed more of itself. So far the Chiropterans had not reached that point, but to prevent the day when the distrust becomes mutual, the Asgard _must _start trusting their allies.

"Between the Chiropterans' recent push and the former System Lord Nimue's own recent space fold technology supported advance, it seems the Goa'uld Empire's fall is inevitable." Freyr said, drawing Thor's attention back to the proceedings. "I am concerned about the instability its collapse will create in the Milky Way."

"That is indeed a concern," Thor spoke up joining the discussions for the first time in the whole session. "However, it is also an opportunity. The Goa'uld's fall will create a power vacuum which we and our allies can exploit to create a better state of affairs in the galaxy."

"Said vacuum might also lead to anarchy," Penegal countered cautiously.

"The Milky Way is already in a state of anarchy," Thor corrected. "With the Goa'uld Empire in a state of civil war, any semblance of order is disintegrating."

"And what is your opinion, Supreme Commander, on how to contain the situation?" The Chief Archon, Baldr, asked.

"It is my opinion, Chief Archon, that we build a strong alliance in the Milky Way _now_, so that we'll be in a better position to influence events when the Goa'uld Empire inevitably collapses. To that end, we should strengthen the alliance with the Chiropterans and Tau'ri by providing them with more aggressive support while simultaneously searching for new allies among the more agreeable Goa'uld splinter states such as the Albion Stellar Empire."

"Do we have the resources to provide the increased support that you suggest?" Penegal inquired, still cautious but a tinge of optimism creeping into his voice.

"Thanks to the assistance of both Chiropteran technical support and Tau'ri military advice, we do." Thor said, deliberately emphasizing the help their allies had provided them.

_The Council cannot see this but greater intervention in the Milky Way is a must. _Thor thought to himself worriedly. _The Replicators have become perilously close to learning of the existence of our extragalactic allies. And if the machines ever did, we are obliged to help them face the robotic tide. Which is why we need to increase our aid to our allies _now _to prepare for the inevitable._

"Let us put Thor's suggestion to a vote." Baldr said after a few more moments of debate over the Supreme Commander's proposal.

As Thor had expected, he was outvoted though only by a single vote.

_The margin for my lost has grown smaller since the last time. _Thor thought, taking solace in this small victory. _Even previously staunch opponents such as Freyr and Baldr are now voting in agreement. I'm certain the next vote will go in my favor. I just hope that it won't be too late._

* * *

On the Ascended Plane, three of the most powerful women in the Milky Way were lying amidst a trashed pub. The whole place was decorated with streamers and other assorted party decorations, and the floor and furnishings was littered with a truly incredible number of empty beer and wine bottles. All evidence of the party that Saya, Diva and Vivian had thrown to celebrate their recent gains.

A party that had left all three women very, very drunk. Diva, naked from an impromptu striptease she'd performed early on in the party, was cuddling up next to Saya as she herself laid with her dress bunched up at her waist in one of the booths. She desperately fought a blush at the thought as she spotted Vivian standing not ten meters from her and lazily stacking beer bottles into a pyramid, as her friend's presence reminded her of the drunken debauchery she'd gotten up to last night while Vivian had been around.

She blamed it on the alcohol.

Her rather embarrassing trip down memory lane was interrupted when in a burst of light, Ganos materialized into the pub. She turned to survey it with wide eyes, but was interrupted when she found herself with her arms full of drunken Ascended Goa'uld.

"G-Ganos!" Vivian slurred. "W-What are ya doing here?"

"The Others made an exception today," Ganos said as she helped Vivian back to her own feet. "They heard you were up here celebrating so decided to allow me to join you."

"Yippee!" Vivian cheered childishly as she pulled the older woman into a fierce hug.

"Are you drunk?" Ganos asked incredulously.

"Yup!" Vivian admitted easily, popping the 'p'.

"How!?"

"That's our fault," Saya said guiltily as she hastily adjusted her dress so she wasn't flashing her friend and stepped out of the booth. "We might have brought along alcohol that affects Ascended Beings."

"Why would you even have that?" Ganos asked as she once more surveyed the pub, all whilst fending off the drunken amorous advances of her lover, while gesturing to the many empty bottles of alcohol. "And so much of it?"

"Why not?" Diva chirped as she latched onto Saya from behind, still, much to her twin's embarrassment, gloriously nude.

Ganos just shot the two Chiropteran Swarm Queens an incredulous look, before shaking her head and turning down to her pitifully flailing lover who was attempting, at least as far as Saya could tell, to shower her in kisses but was missing half the time.

"Viv, sober up. Now." Ganos demanded. "Or I'm not staying."

It was like a light switch was thrown. One second Vivian was a drunken mess and the next, she was the composed, elegant woman she usually was. The only sign of her night as a lush was her rumpled, alcohol stained dress.

"Sorry," Vivian said contritely. "I've never really got drunk before. I wanted to give it a try."

"Of all the things to want to try," Ganos said with a sigh.

"Sorry." Vivian said, shrinking in on herself slightly.

It was so pitiful and uncharacteristic of the powerful woman that the galaxy knew as the Mother Empress Nimue that Saya almost intervened, she was saved the trouble when the woman's lover acted first.

"It's okay," Ganos said with a reassuring smile. "Now that you're sober though, why don't you come with me. I've arranged something for us that I'm sure you'll enjoy."

"I would go anywhere with you," Vivian said seriously. "You just have to ask."

Ganos blushed and offered her arm to her lover, who took it without hesitation.

"Yo Viv," Diva called out teasingly. "Don't do anything we wouldn't!"

Tilting her head back to face them, Vivian snorted. "And what wouldn't you try, Diva? You're a sexual deviant and would try anything."

"Exactly," Diva said with a smirk.

Blushing terribly at the not totally unture statement, Saya smacked her twin's arm.

Laughing at their antics, Vivian finally teleported away arm in arm with a bemused Ganos.

"Hmm, now we're all alone." Diva said sensually as she began nibbling on Saya's ear. "I wonder what we should do now."

"Oh shut up!" Saya said as she grabbed hold of her lover and all but threw her back into the booth they were occupying earlier and crawled on top of her, slipping off her dress in the process. "You know _exactly _what we're going to do."

Unbeknownst to the two Swarm Queens as they enjoyed another round of lovemaking, briefly peering into the pub through one of its dirty, clouded windows was a fat, balding white man in a suit who sported a malicious smirk on his face as he teleported away in a shadowy cloud.

* * *

Je'cu was a lowly Jaffa in command of a Ha'tak in the service of the goddess Nirrti whose ship had been assigned the sacred duty to guard her world of Hataka from rival gods and heathens who would seek to steal it from her dominion.

It was an easy task since Hataka's location at the very edge of the galactic disk held no strategic value and it being relatively poor in resources meant it was no great prize. Its only value, at least as far as Je'cu could tell was its significant human population which his goddess used as specimens for her experiments to create a Hok'tar. This goal however seemed unique to his goddess, thus showing her wisdom, and as such no power in the galaxy was truly concerned about Hataka at all.

This had led to Je'cu's mission largely being a boring one and it seemed that tonight was going to be no exception. He nevertheless did not lower his vigilance and dutifully manned the Pel'tak of his ship as per his orders, scanning the void of space for any threats. Despite his dedication to duty, he was still mortal and his attention inevitably wandered thus it was only natural that he jumped in surprise when the alarms suddenly went off.

"Report," he demanded of his subordinate at the control console after quickly collecting himself.

"We've detected an inbound hyperspace transit, my lord."

"We're not expecting visitors." Je'ca noted with a frown. "Sound battlestations!"

At his command, the alarms spread across the whole mothership rousing its crew to their stations in preparation for the potential battle to come. Simultaneously, the weapons control console rose out of the floor just in front of the command throne and he stepped down to man it.

He was just getting into position at the console when the unknowns exited hyperspace and he looked at the main viewscreen to see who was foolish enough to trespass into the domain of his goddess.

At the sight of the strange jellyfish shaped ships that even from a distance could clearly be seen to be constructed out of what must have been innumerable tiny blocks, he could only blink in confusion.

_What are they?_

Je'ca could not have known that they were the vanguard of one of the greatest threats the Milky Way had ever known.

* * *

**How did you guys like these series of reactions to recent events in the Milky Way? I hope I made them realistic and interesting. Please do let me know what you think.**

**Okay, onto some many details I would like to explain.**

**First, Egeria's comment about Tok'ra fashion in her scene. That's actually due to San'ark's influence on her. It's canon that symbiotes are influenced by their hosts so I was thinking what subtle way is best to show this and came up with the idea of using the love of fashion that many young woman from a materially rich society like San'ark would have. That and, of course, San'ark's loyalty to Nimue reinforcing Egeria's own.**

**Secondly, for those of you who might be wondering why the heck was Saya referring to Nimue as Vivian in the pub scene please recall that the latter is the name Nimue allows those closest to her to call her. Thus the use by the Swarm Queens of that name is highly symbolic. **

**Thirdly, about Nimue/Vivian's odd behaviour when drunk during the pub scene. I know it's OTT. I kinda just wanted to let her act a little childishly for once and only realized in hindsight it wasn't quite in line with someone being drunk. At least not most of the time, though I do believe **_**some **_**people do react this way. So… Let's just say Nimue/Vivian is one such person or that the liquor the Chiropterans provided had a strange effect on her.**

**Fourthly, there were two major bits of foreshadowing for the next arc. One more blatant than the other. Though both are pretty obvious. That said, I'm still not going to spell it out. Hope you guys caught them.**

**Hmm… That's it I guess. **

**Till next time, ciao!**


	28. The Machine Menace

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 20: The Machine Menace**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Apophis, System Lord of the Goa'uld Empire, god of evil, darkness and destruction, was despite his recent losses one of the most powerful individuals in the Milky Way galaxy. Thus, it would have been beneath him to flee from anyone. Yet here he was running for his life within his own flagship no less!

_I knew coming to meet Nirrti for an alliance against Sokar was a mistake, but I never imagined it would be this disastrous!_

He'd abandoned his Jaffa guards long ago, leaving them behind to hold the line against the mechanical spiders as they swarmed over _everything_. Though with their Staff Weapons proving ineffective against these monsters without repeated shots in quick succession and the enemy's sheer numbers, he had little hope they had bought him more than a few seconds.

_It should be enough. It _needs _to be enough._ The Goa'uld insisted as he ran as fast he could towards the Tel'tak he'd set aside as his escape ship. All while the skittering of the spider shaped machines echoed all around him. Thankfully, the monsters seemed content to let him be for now.

That all changed however when he rounded the corner and into the corridor that led to the hangars. For standing in front of the airlock and blocking his way was a horse sized version of the spiders, built out of the same blocks they all were but which had incorporated a single Rotary Staff Cannon into its back.

"**No! I won't die here!**" Apophis screamed as he hastily brought up his shield, even as the gun barked sending a rain of plasma bolts at him. His shield held for only a moment before collapsing under the sheer weight of fire. In most other situations, the greedy Goa'uld would have been curious as to why the bolts were powerful enough to bring down his shield so quickly and more importantly how he could copy the effect for his own armies. Had the machines enhanced the Rotary Staff Cannon somehow?

At the moment however, these thoughts were far from Apophis' mind as a trio of bolts tore through his body in the instant his shield collapsed and the gun stopped firing. Collapsing to the ground in agony, with his right arm severed and a pair of large holes literally burned through his body Apophis screamed in hapless agony as an innumerable horde of the lesser spiders swarmed out of everywhere and crawled all over him, spitting their metal melting acid while they ripped and tore at him with their bladed limbs.

Thus it was in utter agony that Apophis, System Lord of the Goa'uld Empire, god of evil, darkness and destruction died.

* * *

Meru, throne world of Nirrti, had once been a world of rocky mountains and dense forests. A planet where shadows were at every corner, concealing the many deadly predators that its owner had added to its native fauna. In short, it was a world that Nirrti had taken pains to shape into fitting her role as the self-proclaimed goddess of deathly hidden realms and sorrows. Now however those predators were all but wiped out, the dense forests mostly cleared, and many of the mountains leveled. In their place were vast featureless plains of layer upon layer of Replicator Blocks.

It was over this heavily infested world that Francis Drake, son of Nimue led a fleet of 99 Ha'tak, 297 Shel'tak, 600 Al'kesh and a single mighty Mel'tak against the machine invaders. Standing in his way were a pair of the Replicators' own jellyfish shaped cruisers in addition to an infested fleet of 68 Ha'tak, 273 Shel'tak and 479 Al'kesh. Considering his numerical superiority it should have been an easy fight but it was proving to be anything but.

"_Ridgeback _lost!" His XO reported, much to Drake's frustration. _That's the third Ha'tak so far!_

"Keep us in a defensive sphere! We need to stick close and combine our strengths!" Francis ordered even as he spun towards his engineering officer. "Status on our keron disruption fields?"

"All ships report acceptable coverage." The woman dutifully reported. "Our ships are safe from infestation. The modulators installed into our weapons likewise report all green."

"Good." Drake replied with a nod. "XO, enemy losses?"

"We've taken out a little under half their fleet so far, my lord. It seems that these Replicators can only enhance the Goa'uld ships so far. They still appear to be slightly less capable than our own ships."

"So it would ap-"

"_Harpy _lost! They shot straight through its shields!" The tactical officer shouted in a panic.

This announcement was greeted with shocked silence throughout the Pel'tak and likely across the fleet. If the enemy could do that… Then they were doomed. Fortunately, the sensors officer quickly jumped in.

"No," the sensors officer corrected, before the panic could spread. "They shot through the gaps in the shields that we use to allow our own fire out."

"The precision that would require-"

"Is perfectly within the ability of their machine mind. The Asgard told us they could do things like this." Drake reminded his XO. "Relay your findings to the rest of the fleet, officer. Then order all ships to keep moving in random patterns within the formation, make it harder for them to exploit the openings in our shields."

"Yes sir!"

Even with his orders though the Replicators started rack up an unsettling high number of kills. The _Indomitable_, _Hogwarts' Honour, _and a dozen more ships sunk by the synthetics' inhumanly precise fire. However, the machine's advantage was proving insufficient to overcome Drake's numerical superiority and slowly but surely the weight of his numbers was starting to show dividends as the Replicator losses steadily mounted.

_At this rate, victory will be assured._

"My lord!" The sensors officer shouted anxiously. "Replicator ships are raising from the planet! Reading both Cruisers and a new model, tentatively classed as destroyers."

"How many?"

"A dozen and counting."

"Sir! Enemy ships are reactivating!" His tactical officer shouted, adding to his mounting dread.

_When it rains, it pours._

"How!?"

"They're beaming Blocks onto their disabled ships."

"All ships! Don't panic! Stay in formation! We still have the numerical advantage! We can win this!" Drake shouted through gritted teeth. "Destroy every one of the Blocks. Every last one of them. We _will _win this!"

_This is going to be a long slog, _the Fleet Lord thought to himself even as he steeled himself for the rest of the battle.

* * *

In deep space near Chiropteran space, the Swarm had detected a Replicator fleet massing presumably to invade their space and had thus decided to turn the tables on the machines. Striking hard with a fleet of 100 _Bonaparte_s and 300 _Résurrection_s, Louis was confident that he could easily overwhelm the 10 Replicator cruisers and 118 Ha'tak, 496 Shel'tak and 577 Al'kesh that the synthetics had brought to bear.

As he surveyed the aftermath of the battle, he could only shake his head at his foolish assumptions. He had lost 47 _Bonaparte_s and 112 _Résurrection_s, making this an immensely costly engagement. It likely would have been even more disastrous if the Albionians had not shared the information about how the Replicators could recapture disabled ships and exploit gaps in his ships' shields created by their weapons fire. If he had not been aware of them previously and encountered them for the first time during the battle, it would have likely thrown him into confusion and made the battle even more difficult.

_All ships be thorough in your sweeps of the debris with your keron disruption fields. _He warned the Fleetmind. _We cannot allow a single Replicator block to survive._

"These Replicators… I can see why they forced the Asgard to the very brink."

* * *

On a unnamed world located in a largely forgotten corner of the Milky Way galaxy, far from the galaxy's many wars, a emergency conference of the free galactic powers were taking place at the behest of the Chiropteran Swarm to discuss the Replicator threat.

Naturally as the conveners of the event, the Swarm was represented by no less than its Swarm Queens, Saya and Diva. They were however not the only august personages in attendance.

Surveying the other participants, Diva noted that the Tau'ri and the other minor races were represented by no less than the legendary Colonel Jack O'Neill. A man that much to his amusement was so widely respected by so many of the free peoples of the galaxy that they had demanded he represent not just his people but their own. Though, he seemed highly uncomfortable at having been asked to do so.

_Many great men have their greatness thrust upon them and never truly grow comfortable with it. _Saya informed her helpfully.

_I know. _Diva sent back. _Still. His fidgeting is amusing._

_I can't disagree with that._

The Asgard, boring as always, had as expected sent Supreme Commander Thor as their representative. He was currently chatting amicably with Egeria, the Tok'ra Queen and representative, with Nimue's daughter and ambassador, Kalwart, chiming in occasionally. Opposite this cluster and next to O'Neill at the round table set up for the conference sat Yu's First Prime Oshu who sat rigidly in his seat, betraying only the slightest bit of the awe he felt at being in the presence of such galactic notables.

_Speaking of notables. Are the Nox really not coming?_

_No, _Saya informed her, radiating annoyance over their bond. _They declined to participate citing a desire to adhere to their ideology of isolation._

_Idiots! Do they think the Replicators will respect their precious ideology?_

Saya sent a burst of agreement before standing to signal the start of the meeting. Immediately, Thor's discussion with the two Goa'uld came to an end and everyone turned their attention to her sister.

"We all know why we're here," Saya began, receiving nods from everyone in return. "But before we begin debating what we should do about the Replicator invasion, let's recap how it's progressing at the moment."

When no one objected, Saya continued.

"As far as we have been able to ascertain, they are currently focusing their efforts to Goa'uld space where they have gone on a rampage. That said, they have at least skirmished with all the powers present by this point with the exception of the Tau'ri and Tok'ra."

Thor raised his hand, a thoroughly human gesture that Diva had no doubt he'd learned from his friend O'Neill. Nodding at the Asgard with an amused smile, Saya gave him permission to speak.

"The Replicators are following the same pattern they exhibited back in the Ida galaxy," the Asgard Supreme Commander explained. "They are strengthening themselves by first assimilating weaker targets. In this case, this would be the divided Goa'uld who lack any truly effective weapons against them. Once they are strong enough they will turn their attention to their true targets, which in this case I fear are the Chiropterans. It is likely that the Replicators have deduced that they are the originators of keron disruptor technology and they hope that by assimilating them they will be able to develop a counter to their weakness."

"They've not managed to develop a counter in the centuries you've been using the technology to fight them?" Oshu asked incredulously.

"Fortunately not," Thor said with a sigh of relief. "The Replicators have attempted unsuccessfully to adapt on innumerable occasions but despite assimilating examples of keron disruptor technology their efforts are hampered by their lack of innovative ability and it remains an effective weapon against them. They have come close especially when they assimilated their ancient android progenitor while we were researching her remains that the SGC generously provided us. Her systems were highly resistant to disruptors, a trait the Replicators acquired. Thankfully she was too damaged for and our counterattack on the compromised facility swift enough to prevent disaster. Unfortunately, we lost the android's remains in the process. We were however to recover enough data to render the Replicators' adaptations moot."

"Long story short, this keron disruptor technology is effective right?"

"It is, O'Neill." Thor confirmed.

"Then, it should be freely shared!" O'Neill demanded.

"I share your feelings, O'Neill." Thor said with a frustrated sigh. "However, the Asgard High Council argues that the sharing of such advanced technology will cause undue influence to less advanced races."

Egeria, Oshu and Kalwart all frowned at _that _statement and Diva could sympathize. The Asgard High Council's recalcitrance could very well doom those races.

"If the Asgard is unwilling then the Swarm will do so." Saya said reassuringly, the weight of the Swarmmind's approval behind her even as she turned to address Thor. "Supreme Commander, I am aware that this is in violation of the clauses of our alliance with the Asgard but the survival of billions is at stake and that trumps such concerns."

"I will raise no objection to this course of action," Thor assured her. "And will endeavor to ensure the High Council does the same."

"As helpful as sharing this technology will be in protecting our own peoples, what about the untold billions in Goa'uld space?" Egeria asked. "We need to do something to save them."

"I don't see how that is our problem," Diva said disinterestedly. "We have our hands full repelling the Replicators as is and do not have the wherewithal to save them."

"I must agree with her Majesty," Oshu spoke up with a frown. "I do not see why Jade or anyone else here should risk ourselves for the sake of the Goa'uld System Lords."

"I agree with you about the Goa'uld," O'Neill said, his voice frigid and full of menace. "But Egeria is right. There are billions of non-Goa'uld lives at risk. Including humans, Jaffa and other enslaved races."

"If we don't help them, we would be just like the Goa'uld." Egeria insisted. "We cannot just stand idly by while all those innocents are murdered."

"I have to agree." Kalwart said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, likely fighting the headache caused by the mere thought about all the work such a commitment would cause her.

"I likewise agree." Thor said firmly, leveling a challenging look at the lone Jaffa in the chamber.

Oshu, to his credit, was uncowed and instead seemed to mull the pros and cons of taking action in his own mind. It took him a long moment, before he gave a final decisive nod. "Very well. If the majority is intervening then Jade will not shirk its duty to the galaxy. We shall join you in this righteous crusade."

_It's only us left then?_

_Looks like,_ Saya sent back with a pleading look. _You know Oshu has a point, right? That they all do?_

_I know,_ Diva replied. _I'm just not comfortable risking our fleets like this._

_We're already doing so just engaging the Goa'uld. We committed to toppling them and that meant liberating their slaves. If we can commit to that, why can't we commit to saving those same slaves from genocide at the hands of the Replicators?_

_We didn't agree to fight the Goa'uld to liberate the slaves. We did it to help our friend._

_Nimue is fighting this war._ Saya said nodding towards to Kalwart.

_...Alright._

Turning to the other representatives, Saya and Diva spoke as one. "Then the Swarm shall fight alongside you as well."

* * *

Abroad his new Mel'tak flagship, the _Mongoose_, Drake reviewed the joint fleet of the Coalition of Free Peoples, the name the alliance his mother had helped forge had taken, that he had been given the honor to command. There were the expected Albionian contingent of 2 Mel'taks, 1,365 Ha'taks. 5,175 Shel'taks and 7,320 Al'kesh. Another from the Celestial Jade Empire made out 987 Ha'taks. 4551 Shel'taks and 9451 Al'kesh. The Chiropterans sent a large force of a 1000 battleships and 2250 frigates as well. Even the extragalactic Asgard has sent 15 _O'Neill_s and 129 _Bilskirnir_s.

These contingents he had expected. What had come as a minor surprise was when the Tok'ra had showed up with 8 Ha'tak, 22 Shel'tak and 95 Al'kesh. Similarly, he had been startled to discover even the Jaffa Rebellion had scrounged up 88 Ha'tak, 159 Shel'tak and 359 Al'kesh.

Though what had _really _surprised him were how even the minor races had sent flotillas to join the fleet. The Reetou had sent 138 of their beetle-shaped frigates. The insects had never had much of a navy before now, but had thanks to Asgard matter recombinators provided by the Tau'ri rapidly built a force to send into battle. Similarly, the Ohnes had deployed 49 of their newly built tear shaped destroyers. The Hebridians and Serrakins too had contributed by sending a single Mel'tak sized cylindrical supercarrier, which Drake knew made up a sizable bulk of their total navy.

All that paled into comparison to the Tau'ri contribution of a pair of their _Prometheus_-class destroyers and a single _Daedalus_-class battlecruiser. Not only were these three ships completely new, having only recently been developed by the Earthlings from reverse engineered technology recovered through their gate operations and their datamining of the Ancient Repository of Knowledge in their possession. They were also, if intelligence was correct, their full fleet.

_To be willing to take such a gamble with their limited forces… I am impressed with their daring._

"Sir, all ships are in position within our fold bubbles." His XO informed him, pulling Drake from his thoughts.

"Then let's get this campaign started." Drake declared. "Signal the _Snake Eater_, fold when ready."

* * *

In the void of space in the distant orbit of a heavily infested world in Replicator occupied space, twin bright bubbles of light suddenly came into being before quickly disappearing as if popped and in their passing deposited the immense Coalition armada. This event did not go unnoticed however, and the sizable Replicator fleet massing over the world noticed it immediately and began vectoring to intercept the new arrivals.

"Fold complete. All ships accounted for." Drake's XO reported. "As expected. Incoming enemy fleet detected. Microjump attempts detected. Hyperspace inhibitors functioning. Enemy losses minimal."

"I'm surprised they even tried that. Even the Goa'uld stopped after the first few uses of our inhibitors." Drake thought distractedly as he eyed the world he knew to once have been Heliopolis, the throne world of Heru'ur. It used to be a world of extensive floodplains but little of that remained as the Replicators had made their mark and replaced everything with featureless wastelands made out of nothing but their Blocks that were visible even from this distant orbit.

"Perhaps they made enhancements to their hyperdrives and wanted to see if they were sufficient." His XO posited.

"Perhaps," Drake agreed. "Enemy ship count?"

"837 Replicator cruisers, 1287 Replicator destroyers, 3573 Ha'tak, 8654 Shel'tak and 9519 Al'kesh, but that number is climbing."

"The Replicators on the surface are forming into ships?"

"Yes, my lord."

"No matter," Drake replied. "Are our ships in position yet?"

"Affirmative," His XO informed him with a grin.

"The let's do this! All ships, jump!"

At his command, the entire Coalition armada performed a synchronised microjump that transported the whole armada already formed into a spherical defensive formation behind the vectoring Replicator defenders and directly into low orbit over Heliopolis. They were swiftly challenged by the newly formed Replicator ships rising from the surface but these were too few in number to pose a threat and were quickly swatted from the void.

"Fire the keron disruptors! Cleanse the planet!"

Seconds later, a massive energy pulse surged out of the Coalition formation and spread through Heliopolis' atmosphere. Every single Replicator Block that this wave of energy touched immediately became inert, even the dozens of ships that were flying through its atmosphere to intercept them. As a result, whole stretches of the planet bore witness to the strange sight of inert Blocks raining down from the sky as the ships they had been apart of broke apart.

"The planet's atmosphere is serving as a conductor as expected. Scans indicate 98% of all Replicator Blocks have been deactivated."

"Send another burst. Focus on the subspace bands this time. That should reach even the most deeply buried Blocks."

"Yes, my lord!" The comms officer said before she promptly relayed his orders.

"My lord, enemy fleet is closing."

"Maintain formation and deploy fighters but keep them close. We'll need them to screen us from enemy fire! And make sure all ships keep in constant movement to throw off enemy targeting as much as possible!" Drake ordered, hoping their measures to counter the Replicators' insanely precise targeting would at least limit losses.

"Also remind all ships that we need to destroy _all _enemy ships! Don't just disable them, or the Replicators will just reactivate them."

"Yes, my lord!" His dutiful crew replied as they hurried to carry out their tasks.

Drake meanwhile glared at the tactical screen showing the rapidly closing Replicator fleet.

_So it begins._

* * *

Amidst the large protective fighter screen around the Coalition fleet, Char and her Vengeance-class Mobile Armor played its part as a physical shield for the capital ships as she threw her machine into the way of a plasma bolt from a Replicator Ha'tak, saving the Jade Shel'tak behind her which replied to the enemy warship with its plasma beam cutting a deep gash into the infested mothership before its own downed shields could regenerate.

_Give me a old fashioned fighter melee any day! _The young woman thought with a groan even as she ignored her computer's warning that her shields were down to 18%, and darted towards the crippled enemy vessel to unload a barrage of antimatter missiles into the enemy ship's already healing wound as Replicator Blocks moved to patch the gash. The detonations of her missiles inside its weakened hull put an end to that though as they proceeded to tear the entire ship to pieces too small for even the machines to make use of.

Unfortunately for the Mobile Armor pilot, her wish was for naught. As while Replicators could and had infested fighters they simply couldn't use them. Not when every Coalition ship was pumping out a keron disruption field around them that killed the Blocks controlling the strike craft before they could close into effective range. That meant that as much as Char disliked it, in this war at least, she and her fellow pilots had been reduced to glorified additions to her side's point defense net.

It wasn't all bad though as she received a polite thank you from the Shel'tak she saved even as it shifted in the formation.

"Enemy fighter contact." Her computer announced suddenly.

"What!?"

"Char, you idiot! Get back inside our disruption field coverage!" Her commanding officer barked over her comms net.

"Yes sir," Char replied automatically, as she gunned her engines and turned back to the safety of the fleet's formation.

_Shit! I must have gotten out of range when I went after that Ha'tak. _Char noted even as she pushed her machine's engines to pull off a host of evasions it probably wasn't built for in a bid to shake off the pair of Replicator infested Needle Threaders on her tail whose enhanced weapons were starting to eat into her already weakened shields.

"How the hell are these things still so agile with all that dead weight?" Char bemoaned as she chanced a glance at her pursuers and saw that both ships had a thick layer of Replicator Blocks all over their surface and in one case had a shudder inducing Jaffa corpse fused by the Blocks into the cockpit.

Even as she made her observation, she issued a command through her mind-machine interface and launched a salvo of anti-fighter micro missiles at the Needle Threaders, taking one out. Without waiting for the cloud of debris to clear, or to savor her victory, Char spun her MA around to face the remaining enemy interceptor and fired a barrage of her many plasma beam weapons at the lone remaining fighter that literally disintegrated it.

Heaving a sigh of relief that she wasn't reading any more enemy bogeys closing with her, Char flew the remaining distance back into the Coalition formation receiving a nod from the leader of a squad of Jade Tieren MS as she flew pass them.

She was just about to move to another hard pressed sector when her commander's exasperated voice crackled to life over her comms once more.

"Char, your shields are low aren't they?"

"They're a little over 20%," Char reported with a glance at her HUD.

"Then fall back to the center and let them regenerate a little." Her commander ordered. "Don't be over eager out there."

"Yes sir," Char replied with a grunt in frustration even as she obeyed and flew deeper into the tightly packed Coalition formation passing by a squad of Chiropteran fighters as they flew out into the protective fighter screen.

Glancing longingly at her HUD she was disappointed to see that the icon showing the strength of her shields was reading only 32%

"Hurry up! I want to be out there!"

* * *

The battle had lasted for hours but had eventually ended with a Coalition victory and had transited into the mop up phase. Now typically in space battles this wasn't all that complicated, but with the Replicators this was quite possibly the most nerve wracking part of the whole engagement. At least that's what Major Cameron Mitchell felt as he flew his F302 through the debris field of the recently concluded battle.

"Adam, our keron disruptor at full power?" Cameron asked his Lt. Adam Banks nervously.

"Yes it is, Cam," Banks replied with a sigh. "Just like the dozen other times you asked."

"Hey, can ya blame me? I don't want to be turned into a lego Borg man!" Cameron shot back with a shudder as he recalled the images intel had recovered of how the Replicators had converted the bodies of some of their victims into something not dissimilar to the scary cyborgs straight out of Star Trek.

"Yeah, I know Cam. I know. But could you can it? It got annoying the third time you asked."

"Right. Sor-"

"Bogey! I'm reading a bogey!"

"I see it!" Cameron shouted, as he spotted a heavily infested Reaper push its way out of the cluster of wreckage where it had been hiding in off to their port and moved to engage them.

The USAF pilot jinxed and jerked his fighter as he evaded the powerful plasma bolts of the infested Goa'uld Heavy Glider, with whole sections of its surface coated in thick layers of Replicator Blocks, some whizzing by mere inches from his machine.

"The damn thing is staying out of our disruption field!" Cameron cursed. "Really wishing the guys at Area 51 figured out how to give us some decent range with the damned thing."

"Or at least worked the disruption effect into our guns like everyone else did!" Banks agreed as they continued their desperate evasion. "Launching chaff!"

At Banks' shout, their fighter released a cloud of material that the eggheads insisted would scramble the enemy's sensors. It seemed the Replicators didn't get the memo because it continued to close on them like a bloodhound, firing all the while.

"Can't shake it!" Cameron said, "Call us some help."

"Already on it!" Banks shouted back. "This is Tau'ri Bravo 2 to allied forces. Bogey on our tail! Require immediate assistance. Repeat! Bogey on our tail! A little help here!"

Suddenly a bright yellow beam shot pass their starboard followed closely behind by a crimson claw as large as their F302 and a woman's voice echoed over their comms, "Heard you gentlemen needed some help?"

"Thanks mam!" Cameron replied even as he banked his machine around a chunk of a Ha'tak's superstructure to see the infested Reaper's shield take a hit from the plasma beam and shatter like so much glass. This allowed it to be grabbed by the claw from earlier and tossed into the side of another large piece of wreckage before the claw shot another plasma beam directly into the fighter as it was pulled back to its host machine through the long cable attached to its base.

The damned thing wasn't dead yet though, despite a large hole having been torn into its frame by the earlier beam, with the shifting of some of the Blocks that coated its body, it shot off what Cameron just realized was a section of a Ha'tak's pyramid with its guns blazing at the large vermilion machine that had come to their rescue.

The dogfight, such as it was, ended in moments as the powerful Albionian Vengeance-class Mobile Armor proceeded to unload its entire arsenal and literally vaporize the Replicator craft.

"Holy shit!" Banks said in awe. "Sure am glad those Albionians are on our side."

"Amen, man. Amen."

* * *

Even as the Coalition fought the first major battle of its counterattack against the Replicators, Ba'al found himself on the Hasara space station with Olokun, Moloc, Morrigan, Amaterasu, Bastet, Svarog, and Camulus. Together they were the most powerful of the surviving System Lords and had come to discuss a response to the Replicator threat.

_How few of us are left, _Ba'al thought with dismay as he noted the many absentees since the last session. Not that he minded that fools like Heru'ur were dead in and of itself. Rather he was annoyed that with their deaths at the hands of the Replicators, he was fast running out of meat shields against the machines.

"We must reach out to this Coalition at once," Moloc said without preamble once they were all seated. "Failing that Yu or Nimue. We _need _their help against these Replicators."

No one rebuked him for his outrageous suggestion. Seeking help from other races and exiles? Such talk was nigh blasphemous just weeks ago, but a lot had changed since the arrival of the Replicators. A fact borne out by the fact that not only was Moloc's suggestion not dismissed, the others were seriously considering it.

_My, aren't we feeling desperate? _Ba'al allowed himself to gloat for a moment before he spoke up.

"I might have an alternative way out of this crisis," Ba'al said with a self-satisfied smile as he gestured to his lo'taur.

"And what is that?" Morrigan asked, intrigued.

"I believe I can answer that," a woman with frizzy blonde hair and dressed in an elaborate white dress accented by ostentatious necklaces said as she walked into the meeting room.

"And who are you?" Olokun demanded belligerently.

"I am Osiris," she declared proudly. "And in the name of my lord, Anubis, I have come to offer the Empire salvation."

* * *

**Done!**

**I tried to play up the scary factor of the Replicators in this chapter as much as possible, so as to make them as much of a threat as possible. Hopefully I succeeded at least somewhat. Do let me know what you think though.**

**Visual Guide:**

**Jade Empire's Tieren Mobile Suit = ******MSJ-06II-SP Tieren Taozi from the Gundam franchise****

**Till next time, ciao!**


	29. Solution Found

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 21: Solution Found**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Sitting back on her command throne Osiris couldn't help the triumphant smile on her face as she watched her fleet destroy the last of the large Replicator fleet that had attacked the world below, one belonging to Olokun, thanks to the new keron disruptors that had been installed into her ships.

_I must really thank Yu for having such shabby counterintelligence. _Osiris mused. _This victory would not be possible without stealing that remarkable technology from him._

Turning away from the explosions that rippled through the few remaining enemy ships, she turned her attention to the images of the System Lords projected to the sides of the viewscreen. They had been watching the whole battle via subspace comms and had been suitably impressed by her victory.

"As you can see, my lord can indeed deliver victory over the Replicators."

"We have indeed seen that fact," Ba'al informed her, alongside agreeing nods from the others.

"That being the case, will you hold up your end of the bargain?"

One by one the System Lords, some more hesitantly than others, agreed.

"It would seem congratulations are in order, Osiris," Ba'al said with a slimy grin. "Your lord Anubis has been readmitted into the ranks of the System Lords."

Osiris returned a polite grin of her own, even as she inwardly chuckled at the fools effectively signing their surrender.

* * *

A couple weeks into their counteroffensive against the Replicators, Louis, Chevalier of Diva, found himself leading a Coalition fleet of 100 _Bonaparte_s, 300 _Résurrection_s, 1 _O'Neill_, 3 _Bilskirnir_, 215 Ha'tak, 349 Shel'tak, 648 Al'kesh, and 77 Reetou frigates against 98 Replicator cruisers, 387 Ha'tak, 442 Shel'tak, 987 Al'kesh, 33, Ohnes destroyers, and 64 Reetou frigates over a formerly Reetou held world with a modest infestation.

The world's biosphere hadn't yet taken a significant hit and much of the world's original forests still stood, neither had the Replicators started leveling the terrain into the vast plains of Blocks they preferred. That was not to say that the Replicators had not left a major mark on the world. As part of their infestation, they had the exterminated all the native Reetou and had converted their settlements and their immediate surroundings entirely into Block wastelands.

Fortunately, their reign on this world was soon to come to an end as despite the Replicators' usual tactics, Louis was certain that victory was imminent. With the planet cleansed and only about a third of the machines' fleet remaining, this was not without merit. He was even more proud that thanks to his familiarity with their tactics, he had even managed to keep his losses reasonably light.

Allowing himself a smirk at his accomplishment, he ordered his forces to press the attack and finish this.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and he was drawn from his high when the Fleetmind raised an alarm that a new fleet had jumped out of hyperspace.

_Whose?_

_Goa'uld fleet._ The Fleetmind replied. _327 Ha'tak, 654 Shel'tak, 977 Al'kesh. Incoming hail. _

_On screen._

"**I am the goddess Oronsen.**" A Goa'uld possessing a beautiful young African woman declared in the pompous booming voice her people occasionally used. "**Leave the Replicators to us Coalition dogs or face destruction along with the machines.**"

"I'm afraid I must decline your generous offer." Louis said with a sardonic bow, even as he ordered the comm link cut.

At the same time, he also issued orders to his fleet to split into two groups. He had his more powerful Chiropteran, Asgard and Albion ships finish off the Replicators, who were still the bigger threat despite their depleted numbers, while he had the Jade, Reetou and Ohne ships hold off the Goa'uld.

Knowing that the latter would be in for a tough fight, he focused his attention as they maneuvered to engage the snakes and was greeted with the sight of the outmatched Reetou and Ohne fighting like lions.

The Reetou used their small, nimble frigates to harass the Goa'uld fleet, sowing confusion by flying right through their formations and unloading their weapons indiscriminately at any target within range whilst relying entirely on their speed to survive as a single shot from the Goa'uld guns could destroy their fragile ships.

Even as dozens of the Reetou frigates died, the heavier Ohne destroyers closed on the disorientated Goa'uld forces and fired spreads of gravimetric torpedoes before hastily falling back. The Goa'uld managed to shoot dozens of the torpedoes down, but with their point defense already taxed by the Reetou, dozens more made it through their defensive fire. They detonated and unleashed gravity distortions whose immense shearing forces destroyed dozens of enemy ships and crippled the Goa'uld vanguard.

Despite this successful opening, the much larger Goa'uld fleet nevertheless pressed onward and quickly began to overwhelm his forces with the Jade squadrons barely managing to hold the line.

_Reetou forces disengage, _Louis ordered the handful of remaining frigates for the umpteenth time who despite his commands continued their dangerous harassment in the heart of the Goa'uld fleet. _Damnit! Listen to me!_

The Chevalier kept trying to call them back but was also simultaneously doing his best to organize the joint Ohne, Jade defensive formation which despite their combined valor was being overwhelmed.

_Damnit! Albion forces! Reinforce the Ohne and Jade contingents!_

Like the supremely disciplined force that they were, the Albion ships immediately began breaking away from the fighting with the Replicators and moved to shore up the weakening Ohne and Jade formations. Nevertheless, the Goa'uld were starting to break through.

_Shit! They're too damned persistent! I need mo-_

_Chevalier, _the Fleetmind called out. _Replicators eliminated._

_Good timing! All Chiropteran ships attack the Goa'uld. Asgard ships focus on mop up._

As his people's ships turned to engage the Goa'uld, Louis once more allowed his smirk to return to his lip. Victory was once more assured.

* * *

On one of the many worlds that the Tok'ra used as a hideout, Jacob Carter, host to Selmak, found himself chairing a Coalition conference to discuss the seeming Goa'uld resurgence.

"As I'm sure everyone is aware," Jacob said starting the meeting. "A Coalition fleet led by the Chiropteran Chevalier Louis was recently engaged in battle by the Goa'uld whilst cleansing a Reetou world from Replicator infestation. The Goa'uld apparently wanted to destroy the machines themselves."

"This is in addition to reports of the Goa'uld successfully fending off several Replicator fleets attacking their space," Egeria said joining in. "They've apparently even reclaimed a number of worlds from the machines."

This was met, expectedly with unease from the various delegates.

Richard P. Woolsey, a bald bespectacled man representing both Earth and by association the otherwise unrepresented minor races fidgeted nervously as he conversed with to the Jaffa Rebellion representative Rak'nor, a black Jaffa who had burned out his forehead tattoo that was seated to his right. Next to them the Ohne, Orfoc, was likewise speaking in anxious whispers to the Reetou with the unpronounceable name seated next to him.

In contrast to their visible agitation, it seemed the other side of the round table was slightly more composed. The Chevalier Haji was as stoic as always though his narrowed eyes betrayed his unease at the situation. Next to him Nimue, who had been in the hideout even before the meeting had been called to check in on Egeria after the latter had spawned for the first time since her rescue and decided to attend in person, just looked resigned. Next to her and maintaining an impressive level of discipline by only fidgeting slightly was a Jade Empire Second Prime of obvious Chinese descent named Wuji.

Though the one who reacted best was Tyr at the other end of the table. The Asgard representative having merely sighed at the news. Though Jacob reasoned he might have used a filter of some kind over his subspace comm link to mute his reaction.

_And why would he bother to do that? _Selmak asked, amused.

_To appear more composed than he really is? _

_I do believe such subterfuge is something unique to intrahuman diplomacy, Jacob._

_Goa'uld use it too._

_And they learned it from your kind, my friend._ Selmak informed him. _But enough idle musings. It is time to move this meeting along._

_Right._

Jacob cleared his throat and the various delegates settled.

"Thank you," he offered them before continuing. "Now, as we were saying. It appears that the Goa'uld have been able to attain these victories against the Replicators because they have managed to acquire keron disruptor technology."

"How?" Woolsey asked, a question seconded by nods from all along his side of the table.

"It appears that it was provided to them by the formerly exiled System Lord, Anubis."

"**Anubis!?**" Nimue hissed even as the room became charged with static electricity. "**I'll have his head as revenge for Zin-**"

"**Lady Nimue, please calm down!**" Selmak urged, taking over for a moment.

Nimue didn't seem to have heard him, instead descending into a rant.

"**He must be destroyed. Now! Before his ambition overwhel-**"

She was cut off when Egeria walked over and whispered something into her ear which finally seemed to calm her down.

_How did Egeria manage that!?_

_I do not know. _Selmak said, echoing his befuddlement. _I was unaware that the depths of mother's closeness with Nimue extended this far._

_On another note, do you think letting Nimue attend was a good idea? _Jacob asked as he eyed how all the other delegates were looking at the Albionian Mother Empress warily.

_It is too late to second guess that decision, Jacob. _Selmak reminded. _We must just carry on and hope she will not lose her cool again._

"Apologies for my outburst," Nimue said offering everyone a apologetic bow before Jacob could speak. "It was unbecoming of me."

"Apology accepted, your Majesty." Jacob said diplomatically. "If I may continue?"

Nods were given all around and the former USAF general carried on.

"The new technologies Anubis has provided the other Goa'uld is not limited to keron disruptor however, it also appears to include significant upgrades to capabilities of their weapons, shields and hyperdrives. All of which he's using to great effect in leading the System Lords in a counterattack against the Replicators."

"If I may," the Jaffa from Jade spoke up and after receiving acknowledgement from Jacob continued. "Perhaps we can set aside Anubis' intentions for now and coordinate our efforts against the Replicators so as to avoid further confrontations?"

Nimue sneered at the idea but Egeria shot her a look and she restrained herself.

"Pardon me," Woolsey said taking the floor. "But to my understanding isn't it impossible to secure a total military victory over the Replicators due to their nature since if even just one Replicator block survives they would be able to rebuild?"

"That is indeed the case, Mr. Woolsey." Tyr agreed. "That is why in Ida even though my people has effectively achieved 'victory' there continues to be sporadic Replicator attacks."

The other representatives looked at each other uneasily at the prospect of an endless war with the machines.

"Apologies everyone," Woolsey spoke up once more. "But I did not bring that up to dishearten everyone, instead it's because with Chiropteran help we might have found a solution to the problem in the Ancient Repository of Knowledge. It's something the we're calling the Dakara Superweapon."

"A superweapon?" Orfoc asked, "What does it do?"

"It is a device created by the Ancients hidden on Dakara that is capable of reducing all matter to its basic elemental components, and/or restructuring it which when coordinated with the use of the Chappa'ai network can have a pan-galactic reach." Haji said, picking up the explanation. "With the correct tuning the device can be used as a galaxy wide keron disruptor."

"Would this weapon be able to pass through the shields on Replicator ships?" Rak'nor asked, intrigued but wary.

"If we tuned the device correctly, the disruption effect should be able to go through all known shields."

"There is no mention of this device in my people's version of the Repository." Tyr said at last, seemingly having reviewed the data just to be sure of his facts.

"That's not surprising, Commander." Woolsey informed the Asgard. "This isn't the only thing in our copy that the Asgard's version apparently doesn't, such as data on rudimentary keron disruptor technology."

"Is that so?" Tyr asked his interest visibly piqued. "Then I must humbly request permission for a team of our scientists be sent to Earth to assist in the datamining of your repository for the purposes of cross-referencing with our own copy of the database."

"I believe you can discuss that measure at your own leisure, Tyr." Nimue cut in, her voice dripping annoyance.

"Could the information have been added discreetly by an Ascended?" The Reetou representative asked in the synthesized voice provided by the translation cum phase shifting device created by the Chiropterans that allowed communication with the otherwise invisible insectoids.

"I suppose it's possible," Nimue said with a shrug. "But as I said, can we focus on the matter at hand?"

"As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with the Goa'uld." Rak'nor said with a grimace and earning himself a frown from Nimue, Wuji and Egeria.

"While I do not share my colleague's feelings in regards to Her Majesty, I must agree with Rak'nor as well." Orfoc added.

"Thank you, Orfoc." Rak'nor said offering the Ohne a nod. "So we were discussing this superweapon that's hidden on Dakara? How are we going to get access to it? The world's a stronghold of Ba'al, one of his last. He isn't going to let us access it with impunity."

"We understand that, Rak'nor," Woolsey said with a pleasant smile. "Which is why we, namely the Chiropterans and the Tau'ri, are advocating that the Coalition declare war on the Goa'uld Empire to take Dakara and proceed to use the weapon."

That was an audacious proposal and one which should have required a vote of some kind but even before Jacob could call for such, Nimue, Wuji, Ofroc and Rak'nor immediately voiced their eager agreement. Not surprising since their nations were all already at war with the Empire. It was why after exchanging a quick look with him, Egeria likewise expressed the Tok'ra's own agreement to the proposal.

The Reetou representative and Tyr took a moment to consider the matter but unsurprisingly agreed. There was no point in being intransigent on the matter when everyone else had agreed and it was an outcome they both likely wanted anyway. After all, everyone here and the nations they represented were just as opposed to the Goa'uld as they were to the Replicators.

_And with this the war grows even more. _Jacob lamented.

_Take heart, my friend. At least this means that the Empire is one step closer to destruction. _Selmak offered.

_Yes, but at what cost? Billions might die because of this._

_Billions are already dying._

Jacob had no response to that. He knew it was true. Yet, he couldn't help but hope there was some less bloody way for their goals to be achieved.

* * *

**Done!**

**Hope you guys liked it. Till next time, peace out!**


	30. The Battle of Dakara

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 22: The Battle of Dakara**

**Beta:**

* * *

Ba'al sat in his comfortable office within his palace on Dakara as he reviewed the current situation of the war against the Replicators. Reports that over the past few weeks had thankfully become more pleasant reading as the fronts seemed to finally be stabilizing as he and his allies had finally equipped their remaining fleets with keron disruptors. Today's updates were no exception to this trend as the outcomes of the most recent battles were increasingly in their favor. At least those against the machines.

The handful of skirmishes against the so-called Coalition were a little more mixed but Ba'al was realistic enough to know that this was only the case because his allies had wisely chosen to not engage their main fleets for the time being when they simply could not muster a force large enough to match them. Not when they were too preoccupied dealing with the Replicators. After the machines were dealt with though… The pretentious fools would feel the full fury of the Goa'uld Empire.

Satisfied with his conclusion, he moved to power down his computer and retire for the night when an alert appeared on the hardlight screen indicating a comms hail from Osiris.

Frowning in displeasure, he leaned back and accepted the call.

"Ba'al," the former System Lord said foregoing pleasantries. "The Coalition is preparing to attack Dakara soon. You must begin preparations to repel them immediately."

"What? When?" The System Lord demanded, but the woman ignored him and moved to sign off before reconsidering.

"Reinforcements will be coming." The servant of Anubis said almost as an afterthought before cutting the call, without giving Ba'al a chance to even reply.

He was thus left there sitting in his own office stunned.

"What the hell could possibly be on Dakara that would warrant the Coalition attacking it?"

_And can I find it first?_

* * *

Despite his best efforts, Ba'al never did manage to find whatever the Coalition were coming to Dakara in search of. If there was anything at all. Increasingly with his investigations proving completely fruitless he had come to believe they had simply chosen his last remaining stronghold as their target simply at random or for convenience. Or at least that was what his pride forced him to think. He could not stomach the idea that he had a whole month to figure it out and achieved nothing for it.

Therefore, over time he shifted his focus away from his futile search to preparing for the invasion. Thus he sat on his flagship and reviewed once more the status of the fleet that the Empire had mustered to defend the planet. With 1843 Ha'tak, 2467 Shel'tak and 5421 Al'kesh, it was a force that he was confident could stand up against anything the Coalition could throw at it. Which was awfully suspicious. The other System Lords had rallied to his aid at Anubis' request, none willing to slight the mysterious former exile whose trickle of technological marvels had all but saved the Empire and risk his ire. Yet...

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a trio of Ha'tak from Morrigan exited hyperspace and joined the growing formations of ships.

"Make that 1846 Ha'tak." Ba'al said with a frown. "With these many ships, it almost seems like Anubis is expecting this to be a decisive battle of some kind."

"My lord," his First Prime shouted fearfully from his command console. "Enemy contacts."

"So the Coalition has come at last?"

"No, my lord! It's the Replicators!"

"What!?" Ba'al shouted in uncharacteristic confusion.

* * *

"My lord, long range scans indicate the Replicators have engaged the Goa'uld." Drake's sensors officer informed him with a satisfied smile. One that Drake himself and the majority of his bridge crew shared as they all watched the viewscreen displaying the signatures of the two enemy fleets crashing into each other in Dakara's orbit.

Their satisfaction was wholly justified since everything was unfolding exactly as they had planned.

_Luring the Replicators in to help weaken the Goa'uld defenses was a stroke of genius. Especially once we realized they were onto us and was charging straight for Dakara as well._

"Well, ladies," Drake said as he contained his mirth. "Let's go show both of our enemies who's boss, shall we?"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Good, then please relay my orders! Fold!"

In response to his orders, the Coalition fleet consisting of 2 Mel'tak, 12 _O'Neill_s, 3 Hebridian/Serrakin Supercarriers, 826 Ha'tak, 2178 Shel'tak, 4687 Al'kesh, 300 _Bonaparte_s, 900 _Résurrection_s, 321 Ohne destroyers, and 519 Reetou frigates were surrounded by twin spheres of brilliant light as the fold drives of the two Mel'taks at the core of the armada deployed their bubbles. It took less than a minute before the thousands of ships were all engulfed in the twin lights and moments later vanished as the artificial stars likewise blinked out of existence, carrying them off into battle.

* * *

Char like many of her compatriots piloting allied fighters, MSs and MAs had all been fully deployed even before the spacefold and thus the moment they reverted back to normal space a distance from the dueling enemy fleets, she was able to gun the engines of her Vengeance-class Mobile Armor and hurtle headlong into the fray.

All around her, thousands of allied strike craft flew with her as they crashed into the surprised enemy. Their cheers and cries for the blood of the enemy echoing across the comms channels as proof of their eagerness for the fight.

She shared their enthusiasm a hundred percent and quickly zeroed in on one of the Replicators destroyers. The ship which looked like nothing more than an massively oversized crouched version of their standard spider forms began firing at her in turn. Shooting both hyper accelerated Replicator Blocks that her shields easily absorbed the impact of and which her keron disruption field rendered inert, and also the odd particle beam of varying type as she closed.

The newly promoted Third Prime of the Albionian Navy wasn't going to let the fire go unanswered though and firing a brace of antimatter missiles to crumple the abominable ship's shields, she waited for confirmation form her sensors that they were down before unleashing her full plasma complement on the damned thing. As she'd hoped, her energy weapons overwhelmed the Replicators' innate energy dispersal systems and proceeded to tear the ship apart.

All this took place in less than a minute and ended with Char's Vengeance literally flying through the wreckage of the Replicator destroyer, its disruption field killing the Blocks she passed even as they struggled to regroup and take on new forms.

Smirking at her kill, she vectored towards her next target. Deciding on a infested Ha'tak, one whose whole central pyramid seemed to have been replaced by a ever shifting mass of Replicator Blocks, she fired another of brace of antimatter missiles at the ship, only for the majority to be shot down by the infested ship's point defense but enough slipped through and detonated against its shields to give her sensors a firm read on its strength which had been her intention all along.

_Pretty strong. _The blonde noted with a frown. _The Replicators must have enhanced it like crazy._

She was closing in for another attack run, evading enemy defensive fire all the while and letting what she could not splash against her shields, when the shifting central mass spat out something that flew straight at her with its guns blazing.

Jinxing to the side, she caught a glimpse of the latest Replicator creation and was overcome by a sense of disgust to find a twisted imitation of her own machine built around the infested frame of one of those knockoff Goa'uld MSs.

"Shit! This thing is fast." Char cursed as the Replicator MA rapidly closed with her.

Abandoning her attack, she quickly switched to evasive maneuvers to shake it off. It was a persistent pest though and she was forced to fly in a mad dance with the enemy machine through the very heart of the Replicator fleet, occasionally taking potshots at anything she passed.

_Just a little further. _Char mused, while biting her lower lip nervously and flew her machine out into open space beyond the Replicator fleet. _There!_

The stupid machine, lacking anything but the most rudimentary intelligence, followed her like an obedient dog and burst out of its friendly formation moments behind her and into the firing line of _her allies_. It was welcomed, as to be expected, by no less than three plasma cutting beams that proceeded to reduce it to pieces that Char was happy to vaporize with her own plasma cannons.

"Thanks fellas!" Char sent to the flight of distant Jade Shel'taks that had probably just saved her life.

"Just returning the favor from Heliopolis, master." The Jaffa manning the comms on the flight's lead ship returned.

_Oh it's _those _guys. _Char thought with a smile even as she piloted her machine back into the action. _I totally need to hunt those guys down later for some drinks after this._ _In the meantime though, there's more killing to be had!_

* * *

"Focus all our fire on those Ha'tak." Loutal ordered highlighting a dozen enemy Ha'tak on the tactical map for reference. "Take them out and punch through their position in the enemy line and we'll cut off the outermost section of the enemy's entire left flank!"

"My lord, Lady Reshi says her squadrons are in position."

"Tell her to hold off a bit." Loutal ordered his XO in response. "Ask her to keep the enemy pinned but don't press. We don't want them scattering. And apologize to her about the delay."

"She says it's fine, my lord," his XO replied a minute later. "But adds that she can't keep them bottled for long on her own."

"Any other allied groups in position to help her?"

"The Hebridian/Serrakin contingent is moving to reinforce her."

The fighter reliant supercarriers under Commander Ardal probably weren't the best choice for the task, but beggars can't be choosers. _Hang in there, Reshi! I'm on the way._

"Good," Loutal said, letting none of his concern showing where it could unsettle his crew. "Have we cut the enemy off yet?"

"No, my lor- Wait! Target enemy squadron is dispersing." His XO shouted suddenly. "It doesn't makes sense. They were holding just fine moments ago."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Loutal countered. "All ships! Full speed! Push through the gap! Hail Lady Reshi and Commander Ardal. Let them know to begin englobing the enemy flank."

"Yes, my lord!"

* * *

"Master Teal'c!" A young man shouted from the command console of the Pel'tak Teal'c and his fellow Jaffa rebels had just seized. "The Albionian fleet is breaking through."

"Have you hailed them to signal that we've taken the ship?" Teal'c asked calmly even as he leaned around the corner and fired a shot from his Staff Weapon and killed one of his enslaved brethren seeking to reclaim the bridge in the name of their false god.

"Not yet, Master," the young warrior said apologetically. "I've doing so now. Done. They've returned an acknowledgement and asks if we need some reinforcements?"

Teal'c turned to Master Bra'tac at the other entrance to the Pel'tak.

"Ask them to send over whoever they can spare." Master Bra'tac said in reply.

"At once, Masters." The young man said. "Unlocking rings for them now."

A moment later, the rings just off to the Pel'tak descended. Unlike earlier in the fight before they'd locked down the ship's rings, it did not disgorge another squad of the deluded slave warriors in service of Ba'al. Instead as the light of the transport cleared out stepped a squad of the Power Armored Stormtrooper soldiers of Albion. Elite soldiers who proceeded to unleash hell on the surprised Jaffa of Ba'al and easily secured the corridors leading up to the Pel'tak.

Once this was done, their leader walked up to Teal'c

"Greetings Teal'c of the Tau'ri, I heard you needed some help."

"Indeed," Teal'c replied, an eyebrow cocked at the unexpected term of address. "Your men's help will be most appreciated in securing the rest of the ship."

"We're glad to help."

Any further discussion was interrupted as a stray plasma bolt splashed harmlessly overhead, reminding both Jaffa they were still on a ship full of enemies. Turning they spotted a Jaffa crumpling to the ground his shot thrown off by being shot himself standing next to a doorway that only moments before had been a part of a wall.

"Pleasantries later, young ones." Master Bra'tac reminded as he shot another of the Jaffa who had stepped out the secret passage.

"Yes Master," both Teal'c and the Stormtrooper commander said at once as they brought their weapons to bear and followed his lead as they moved to secure the secret passage.

* * *

Elsewhere in the expansive battle, Louis delved deep into the Fleetmind even as he led the Chiropteran contingent of the Coalition force into the fray against the Replicator fleet.

Ordering his capital ships to spread and englobe the enemy, he focused the majority of his attention on his fighters as they flew through the chaotic mess of the Replicator fleet seeking out and destroying any flotillas attempting to break out of his tightening noose.

He therefore shared in their surprise firsthand as the synthetics revealed that they had duplicated their own mecha by enhancing the primitive Goa'uld MSs they'd infested. His mind was one with the Pilots as the jinxed and swerved through the chaotic battle to hunt down/shake off the abominations that the Replicators had created. He was with them fully in spirit as they slowly but surely destroyed one after another of the caricatures of their own elegant machines.

Despite this, he never lost sight of the greater battle and he allowed himself a smirk as his capital ships alongside allied forces finished their englobement of the Replicator fleet and began bombarding them from all sides.

They were winning the orbital battle. Now it would be up to the troops on the ground to pull off the final victory.

* * *

Even as the battle raged in the void above, another even more important battle was taking place on the surface of Dakara. It began with twin bursts of blinding white lightning that scorched any and all enemies for miles as Nimue used her powers to deposit a large allied force directly into the temple where the the data from the Ancient Repository indicated the Dakara Superweapon's control console was located and another in front of the plain surrounding the Chappa'ai.

At the latter site, Rak'tor, Chevalier of the Hive Queen Amelia, blinked once to clear the white spots from his eyes left behind by the lightning from the Lady Nimue's teleport and hastily sent orders to his Warriors.

_Spread out and secure the area. _He sent and the Warriors immediately moved to obey his command, eager for the fight ahead.

Next to him, a Stormtrooper commander by the name of Ruilan was likewise ordering her men to do the same, though she was also having them hastily set up various heavy weapons such as plasma mortars, Heavy Rotary Staff Cannons and outright artillery in the form of Heavy Staff Cannons.

"That is a lot of firepower you've brought to bear." Rak'tor noted with amusement.

"We're on a level plain and are liable to be swarmed." Ruilan shot back. "Without the time to build even the most basic fortifications, I thought it prudent to bring along some big guns to even things up a little."

"Good idea." Rak'tor agreed. "Though none of the war machines I've heard your armies favor so much?"

"The Lady says it would be tough to carry those along, so we left them behind. We'll make do without them."

"Indeed, we will." Rak'tor said as he tensed. "The enemy's first wave is inbound."

"Great, who is it?"

"Replicators."

Ruilan said something remarkably impolite before turning to the group of Tau'ri scientists working on the Chappa'ai's dialing device that they were here to protect. They were attempting to upload a computer virus they'd developed that was supposed to activate all the gates in the galaxy at the same time to propagate the superweapon's disruption wave across the Milky Way.

"You lot, work as fast as you can!" She barked, her helmet helpfully translating her words into English

"Yes, Mam!" The scientists replied without even looking up from the tasks in front of them

Turning to Rak'tor, she gestured to the front lines. "After you."

"You are too kind," Rak'tor said with a bow as he spread his wings and with a leap took to the air.

He flew towards a cluster of his Warriors just behind the edge of their secured perimeter and along the way caught sight of the advancing Replicator swarm. It was a grotesque metallic tide made out of constructs of every possible shape and size. It was studded with captured Goa'uld Staff Weapons of various calibers and all manner of other weapons forged out of the machine's ever shifting Blocks. All of which were beginning to rain down fire on their position from just beyond the reach of their disruption fields.

_I really wish we had more powerful field generators. If we did, these lego blocks wouldn't even be a threat._ Rak'tor complained to himself even as he realized that even if the had the generators he wanted, he didn't have anywhere near the kind of portable power sources required to power them at the ranges he needed.

_No choice then, I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way._

"Commander Ruilan," Rak'tor spoke into his comm link. "The Replicators are being held off by our disruption fields but are beginning long range bombardment. Some return fire might be nice."

"Incoming!" The Jaffa woman replied even as a rain of plasma mortars and artillery slammed into the machine horde. They not only disintegrated their targets but also spread waves of anti-keron energy through the Replicator ranks rendering whole sections of their lines inert at a time.

The endless waves of synthetics quickly filled in any gaps in their lines created by the barrage though it seemed to have engendered some kind of panic among the Replicator ranks and they began to form into an increasing number of artillery pieces of their own as they moved to take out the allies' own with counter battery fire, which was soaked up the area shield that was deployed just as the first wave of fire from their new guns came raining in.

_Spot for our allies' guns. _Rak'tor informed his Warriors. _They'll deal with the Replicators._

He received a disgruntled affirmative from the Warriors. He allowed himself a sigh. Warriors were such bloodthirsty creatures. Deprive them of a fight and they got all sulky on you.

He was about to say something to soothe their unhappiness when Ruilan's voice crackled to life on his comms.

"Jaffa force in bound from the North. It's a big one and it's got some towed artillery with them. Since my men are holding off the Replicators to the South, mind taking care of this one?"

"Not at all," Rak'tor replied graciously even as he ordered all but a handful of his Warriors to the North to engage the enemy Jaffa. Now that was an enemy they were equipped to fight.

A thought that brought a burst of agreement from his Warriors.

* * *

While Rak'tor and Ruilan were holding the position around the Chappa'ai, Beltat was working as quickly as he could manage as he and his team worked to calibrate the Dakara Superweapon.

"How long?" Herion asked, even as an Replicator artillery cannon struck their area shield and caused it to shudder.

"I honestly don't know," the son of Nimue admitted. "It could take minutes, hours or even days. This is the first time we're working with this system."

Herion winced. "My men and I can give you a couple hours tops."

"We'll get it done." Baltet reassured the Second Prime. "Or die trying."

"Let's hope it's the former."

Baltet nodded, but the Jaffa commander didn't see it having been distracted by one of his subordinates running towards them.

"Master Herion!" A young Jaffa officer running over shouted. "Goa'uld Jaffa are breaking through the Eastern lines. They've brought some Mobile Suits."

"Shit! I'm on my way!" Herion said running to join his subordinate who was turning around. "Contact the mortar teams and have them prioritize taking those things down ASAP!"

Turning away from the retreating soldiers, Beltat looked to his scientists. "You guys heard the man. We have two hours, likely less. Let's get this done!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

After depositing the two teams on the planet, Nimue drifted back to the lower reaches of the Ascended Plane to assess the situation. The forces at the Chappa'ai were holding their own for the moment, the flat terrain making it difficult for the enemy to bring up heavy weapons without detection and thus giving the allied forces the chance to use their artillery to destroy them before they could be brought to bear. In contrast, the temple was situated in the middle of a ruined city full of cover for enemy forces as they advanced thus allowing them to bring more deadly hardware to the front.

_Beltat needs my help more. _Nimue decided and was about to descend back to normal space and assist the force at the temple, when she sensed something hurtling towards her.

Acting on instinct honed from millennia of constant training, Nimue spun out of the way of a shadow bolt and instinctively sent a bolt of lightning at her attacker who raised a wall of shadows that spanned a significant length of the empty wide void of this pocket of reality to absorb her counterattack.

"Who are you?" Nimue demanded. "Why are you trying to kill me?"

_How did he even know it's even possible? That harming an Ascended being is possible at all is a closely guarded secret of the Others. And what would _any _Ascended Being in the Milky Way even gain by attacking me in the first place?_

Her only reply was the shadow wall reshaping itself into a line of lances that shot themselves right at her.

Conjuring a pair of lightning scimitars of her own whilst simultaneously creating a protective localized storm around her own body, she danced her way through the armory's worth of homing lances cleaving any that got too close into pieces with her blades and made her way towards her attacker.

Finally getting a chance to get a look at her assailant she noted that it was a shadowy man that radiated menace. He responded to her getting closer by panicking and starting to frantically shoot shadow bolts at her. Nimue was prepared though and her storm armor automatically shot out bolts of lightning to intercept his desperate shots.

Throughout the whole fight so far, ever since she'd conjured the storm she wore around her like armor she had also been flooding this plane with its rain. Water that now acted at Nimue's command to take the shape of grasping tentacles that lashed out to restrain the shadowy man.

To his credit, he reacted quickly and shot up into the air, avoiding all the tendrils if only barely. And while still avoiding the questing liquid tentacles, he gathered together a mass of power that manifested as a large shadow orb between his cupped hands from which he proceeded to fire a powerful beam of this raw energy directly at Nimue.

Still distracted by the handful of remaining shadow lances, Nimue could only hastily call her powers together into a makeshift shield of energy.

The two masses of energy collided in a massive explosion that blinded Nimue and she barely spun out of the way of another shadow bolt that proceeded to graze her forehead, though the pained cry as the scimitar she'd thrown at her attacker in retaliation told her she came out the better of this latest exchange.

"Curse you Nimue," her attacker shouted in a barely familiar guttural voice as his presence faded and the Ascended Goa'uld found herself alone once more.

"Who was that?" Nimue asked to the empty white void.

* * *

Herion ducked behind the crumbling masonry of an ancient wall as plasma bolts rained on his position and reduced the stonework to rubble even as he sprinted to new cover.

_How I wish I could be behind the safety of the area shield. _The Second Prime in the Albionian Army bemoaned as he got comfortable behind yet another weathered wall in the ruins around the temple. Unfortunately for the Jaffa commander, with the ample cover the ruins provided the enemy simply had too many hiding spots from which to shell the relatively weak shield. With the Replicators already resorting to such due to their inability to close, Herion couldn't allow it to take anymore pressure thus necessitating sending teams out to deal with the enemy artillery positions or at least spot them for reprisal from their own guns.

Why was the commander of the task force leading such a risky sortie himself? Simple. If there was one philosophy of war that Herion held dear it was the willingness of commanders to lead by example. The great Jaffa master Zintar had exemplified this by leading the last stand of Hogwarts during the Anubian War and becoming a martyr in the process. How could Herion, one of those following in his footsteps, not do the same?

Not that these high ideals were anywhere in Herion's mind as he popped out of cover and shot a burst from his Staff Rifle at the cluster of enemy Jaffa manning a Plasma Mortar roughly twenty meters northeast of his position. If anything, his mind was preoccupied with comparing the pros and cons of his weapon compared to the standard Staff Weapons employed by his enemies.

Yes, his rifle was better in terms of both accuracy and rate of fire but it only had half the stopping power per shot as a Staff Weapon. Against the Power Armor the enemy was wearing this lack was telling. He was scoring dozens of hits per burst but was barely making dents in their shields and armor, much less their numbers.

Thankfully though Herion was not alone. Even as he stepped out of cover, all around squads of his men did the same and collectively sent a storm of plasma flying at the enemy.

"Arty close!"

At the sound of the urgent message over the local comms band, Herion and his men in the area immediately ducked back under cover and hunkered down as best they could. Herion himself barely made it just in time before a large bolt of plasma screeched overhead to impact the enemy mortar position in an impressive fireball.

Cautiously peering over the edge of his cover, Herion was pleased to note that the enemy position had been reduced to a blackened crater. There were a handful of enemy troops that had survived the artillery strike, but they were disorientated and thus easy targets.

"Finish them off! Quickly!" He ordered even as he blew the brains out of a Jaffa wearing the armor of Olokun. "We have plenty more of them to give the Lady's peace today."

As his men sounded their acknowledgment and been sweeping the area for enemy survivors, Herion pulled up the local tactical map on the HUD of his armor and decided on his next target. Even as he did, he chanced a glimpse at the skies above and the raging storm that was the manifestation of his goddess. With a call for her blessing, he selected an area nearby where an enemy artillery battery was sighted.

"I've got our new target." Herion shouted over the comms to his men. "Follow me! For Nimue!"

"For Nimue!" His troops roared as they followed him into the breach once more.

* * *

**"****We've got it!" **One of Beltat subordinates shouted excitedly, as forty minutes into the tuning they finally managed to get the weapon set to the parameters that they wanted.

"Comms the Chappa'ai team as once," the Goa'uld scientist said turning to a nearby Jaffa Comms Trooper. "Let them know we're ready as soon as they are."

* * *

Ruilan was looking up at the sky at how the storm clouds seemingly battled what she could only describe as a mass of living shadows in a fight like something out of myth with awe, somehow knowing it was the manifestation in the mortal plane of her goddess doing battle with a dark god in the divine realms.

This godly conflict and its strange sympathetic manifestation on the mortal plane had began barely ten minutes after they had secured the Chappa'ai and mere moments after the enemy had began attacking them, continuing unabated ever since. Through it all Ruilan had prayed to her goddess, offering her what little strength that act could bring and sending her faith in her victory.

That was not to say she neglected her duties on the ground, but even as she barked orders at her men she continued a non-stop litany of prayers in the back of her mind for her lady. It seemed to pay off too, as the shadow mass had fled leaving the skies to be filled with her goddess' storm, her presence spreading to encompass the clouds as far as Ruilan's eyes could see.

"Master Ruilan!" One of her lesser Primes said running over from the Comms cluster they'd set up. "The temple team reports success."

_More good news. The goddess' blessing must truly be upon us._

Approaching the Tau'ri team, she opened her mouth to speak but was preempted by their leader.

"We heard," the scientist said as he typed away at his primitive little computer. "Give us a few- Correction. We're a go."

Smiling she turned to the lesser Prime still standing beside her, "Go tell them to activate the weapon."

"Yes Master!"

* * *

Thor watched with satisfaction from onboard the _Mjölnir_, his new _O'Neill_-class flagship, as his ship flew circles around a Replicator infested Ha'tak and extended its keron disruption field over the vessel while simultaneously firing precises shots from its particle beam cannons that proceeded to disable its various critical systems.

Pulling away from the disabled ship he used his mental link with the ship to fire another burst from its particle weapons that shattered the containment on the formerly Goa'uld ship's power core and caused a catastrophic failure that resulted in the mothership exploding in a spectacular burst of superheated plasma.

He was just maneuvering to engage another Replicator controlled ship when his sensors reported an intense energy build up from the Dakara Superweapon.

"Ragnar, take command." Thor ordered his adjutant as he pulled up a visual on the Superweapon.

A hardlight viewscreen materialized in front of his command throne and he was greeted with the sight of the mountain peak where the weapon was hidden opening up like a four petaled flower, dislodging massive chunks of rock in the process that fell down the mountainside to crash into the ground far below. He paid the rock little mind though, as his attention was caught by the dome shaped construct that had been hidden within and had now been revealed for the first time in what must have been millennia. A bright light, and immense energies, began building up at a point directly above the domed device as the weapon charged. It did not take long to reach full capacity it seemed, as moments later a dome of crackling energy, looking like lightning, expanded out from this mass of energy at an exponentially increasing speed that in seconds swept across the system.

Wherever the energy touched, the Replicators became inert.

"Sensor net is reporting pan-galactic reach, Supreme Commander." Ragnar reported before Thor even asked. "Replicator signatures are going silent across the Milky Way."

"Then we've won." Thor said allowing himself a satisfied grin, one of the many customs he'd picked up from his friend O'Neill.

"Not quite, Supreme Commander," his adjutant said apologetically. "There are still enemy Goa'uld vessels on the field."

"Ah yes," Thor said with a embarrassed blink. "Let's finish them then. I am sure our allies would like to celebrate this victory as soon as possible."

"Yes, Supreme Commander. Bringing us towards the nearest hostile formation now."

"Fire!" Thor ordered, unleashing the fully fury of his mighty ship against the hopelessly outclassed Ha'tak in its sights as he flew the _Mjölnir _like it was an avenging instrument of the gods.

* * *

**And done! Not just with this chapter but another arc of this fic!**

**I hope you guys liked it. Do let me know your opinions.**

**So I had a review by ****Readinglover3 that pointed out that defeating Replicator with the Dakara Superweapon is very similar to the Reapers/Crucible plot in Mass Effect. To be honest, until they mentioned it, I hadn't noticed. That said I would like to point out that this plot idea was used by Stargate first back in 2005 while Mass Effect 3 where the Crucible was revealed only came out 7 years later in 2012. That said, using some ancient superweapon to defeat some otherwise unbeatable foe is standard fare in fiction so I don't think either IPs really can claim ownership over the idea.  
**

**Till next time!**


	31. Fragile New Order

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 23: Fragile New Order**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

In one of the diners that had proliferated across the Ascended Plane of the Milky Way in recent years, Ganos Lal stalked purposely through the crowded establishment to a notably empty corner where a nondescript black man sat alone in a booth. Stepping up to the booth she tossed a newspaper with the headline "Replicators suffer decisive, possibly final defeat over Dakara" onto the table.

The sudden move caused the man to jump in his seat and he spun around to look at Ganos questioningly.

"Congratulations," the Ascended Lantean said sarcastically. "Nimue and her allies have finally successfully cleaned up _your _loose end."

"I've apologized for it a thousand times. I didn't know I had missed some of those blocks. And I didn't know those poor Asgard scientists had found them until it was too late."

"Your apology doesn't change the fact that your mistake has led to the death of billions. Do you think that can be so easily forgiven?"

"All I wanted was to have a child of my own." The man insisted tearfully. "I never wanted to unleash those monsters on the universe."

"Then you should be grateful that the threat you created has been dealt with."

The still tearful man nodded.

Ganos looked at him sternly for a few minutes before nodding, satisfied that he was sincere. She turned to leave when the man spoke once more.

"Thank you."

"I shouldn't be the one you should be thanking." Ganos shot back as she left the fool to his own devices.

* * *

Nimue ran a finger across the abnormally slow healing gash on her forehead as she lounged in her private sitting room of the New Water Palace on Londinium.

_Argh! Wounds taken in our energy states always take forever to heal. _The Ascended Goa'uld complained as she used a Goa'uld tablet to review the current galactic situation or at least that was her intent. _Though I suppose it makes sense, it's as close to a true form an Ascended Being has so any injury to it likely carries more weight. _

Having been dealt this wound by a mysterious unknown Ascended Being, Nimue had naturally sought out the Others to see if they could shed some light on her attacker's identity.

_And of course the asses chose to give me the silent treatment as usual. I know I'm not allowed access to their precious vault of knowledge, but surely helping me identify my assailant doesn't constitute that._

Sighing in frustration at her predicament, the Albionian sovereign decided to ignore her wound and her perpetual annoyance at the intransigence of the Others for now and focus on the task at hand. If nothing else it would be a good distraction from fussing over her injury and worrying about the hostile Ascended Being who had dealt it.

"Nothing on Anubis? Worrying." Nimue noted frowning. _The jackal is probably planning something in the shadows. I wonder what?_

Despite the passage of ages, Nimue still felt the sting of Zintar's death and with all of Anubis' lackeys that had contributed to his death having faced justice, many at her own hands, only the mastermind, Anubis himself, remained. Thus, millennia of grief and anger had coalesced into a burning hatred of the formerly exiled Goa'uld. This combined with a well founded appreciation of the cunning that Anubis possessed made her determined to seek to destroy him first among all the System Lords. It was prudent _and _satisfied her thirst for vengeance.

His current low profile was ringing alarm bells for her but Nimue could do little. Not without any leads. All she could do was ready herself as best as able for whatever new scheme he had in store for the galaxy.

_That being the case, there's no point mulling over the jackal until he strikes. For now, let's just move on._

"So it seems the Free Jaffa Nation has finally managed to convince the rest of the Coalition to cede Dakara to them."

This was unsurprising, Dakara as the site where the Goa'uld had first created the Jaffa was a place of great symbolic importance to the JFN. They had thus lobbied hard for the right to keep the planet for themselves, in the hopes of making it the capital of their new nation. The former Jaffa Rebellion's bargaining power was substantial too. Scores of Jaffa worlds having thrown off their Goa'uld masters to join the JFN after the victory at Dakara. The disarray that said battle and the broader Replicator War having left the Empire in no position to contest it.

Despite this and the general agreement that the Jaffa deserved Dakara, there had been some objections particularly in regards to the presence of the Ancient Superweapon. Thankfully, after some negotiation, the JFN accepted guarantees for the provision of technical and material assistance from the other members of the Coalition in exchange for allowing the Asgard to dismantle the Dakara superweapon and bring it back to their home galaxy to use it against the Replicators there. Once that had been agreed, the world was happily handed over to the Jaffa for use as their new capital.

"A new Jaffa nation," Nimue mused as she took a sip of the tea that a servant had helpfully provided her. "Who would have thought that possible even a decade ago? Times really are changing in the galaxy and not just for the Jaffa."

It was changing for everyone particularly due to the Coalition entering talks to transition into a permanent alliance. If they succeeded, and Nimue had no reason to believe that they wouldn't, the galaxy would have for the first time since the age of the Four Great Races have a force dedicated to the freedom, peace and prosperity of all its inhabitants.

"What wondrous times to be alive."

* * *

Sokar, exiled Goa'uld System Lord, ground his teeth in frustration as his flagship jumped to hyperspace with the ragged remains of his fleet. He had responded to an incursion into the borders of his domain by a Goa'uld fleet and faced it in battle. Much to his surprise the enemy were in possession of uncommonly powerful shields and weapons.

Not expecting such a powerful foe, Sokar had brought insufficient ships to overcome the technological advantage the opposing fleet had and thus was forced to retreat in ignominious defeat. If he had been most other Goa'uld such a loss to his prestige would have been intolerable, but Sokar had always prided himself on being different from his peers. Oh, he was angry. Furious even. But unlike other Goa'uld who would lose their temper in unbecoming displays of pique, he would channel his rage into something more productive.

"Bring the prisoner." The famously cruel System Lord barked to his First Prime who nodded and left to retrieve the captive in question. A enemy Death Glider pilot who had been shot down and crashed into the superstructure of his flagship, he'd survived the crash and then had the misfortune to be taken prisoner by his Necropolis Guard.

_Oh, how I'll enjoy extracting everything he knows from the poor fool. _Sokar mused as he thought of the myriad tortures he would inflict on his latest victim. _It will be glorious._

He was just getting excited at the prospect when his First Prime returned along with a pair of other Jaffa who were dragging the bound prisoner by a chain attached to a heavy metal collar around his neck.

Smiling maliciously Sokar could only imagine all the fun he'll have forcing the prisoner to reveal his master's secrets. He couldn't wait.

* * *

Kalwart, daughter of Nimue and Prime Minister of the Albion Stellar Empire, was working through her correspondence after yet another long day of running the empire when an urgent communication alert caught her attention.

"From Sokar? What does he want now?"

While technically an ally, Sokar was regarded with such disdain by Kalwart's mother and the entirety of the empire's leadership that he was kept at arm's length as far as possible. So much so that they had very deliberately not extended an invitation to him to join the Coalition of Free Peoples. Though he did not help matters but refusing to fully renounce claims to the Goa'uld Empire as requested as a precondition by the Coalition.

As a result of this distance, Kalwart had no idea what the exiled System Lord wanted.

_He doesn't contact us over trivialities. _Aster, Kalwart's human half, noted. _Whatever this is about must be important._

_At least important enough to investigate. _Kalise, her Goa'uld half, added.

"Oh alright, I'll bite." Kalwart said with a annoyed huff. "This better be wor- Anubis is on the offensive!?"

Quickly scanning the missive, Kalwart confirmed that was exactly what it said. Anubis was on the move once more and had done so by launching an attack against Sokar. A war that by Sokar's own admission he was losing.

_Mother will not like this. _Aster noted even as Kalwart secured her computer and stood.

_That's an understatement. _Kalise replied with a snort. _Mother is still bitter about the Anubian War millennia ago. Any mention of Anubis will send her into a rage._

_Yes, yes, we're all aware of Mother's irrational anger towards Anubis. _Kalwart noted as she hurried out of her office to find her mother and deliver the news. _Let's just hope she doesn't do something stupid when she hears the news._

* * *

**Done!**

**This was just a short little epilogue/transitory chapter before we dive into the next arc. Hope it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.**

**Till next time, ciao!**


	32. Interlude: The Replicators

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: The Replicators**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi all,

Good to see you all again! Yes, I'm back. Which means I'm not dead. Not that Nimue didn't try. What was with all those cakes you tried to stuff down my throat the last time I visited? Were you trying to choke me?

Anyways… Let's get back to our regular analysis on the galactic powers. Today we'll be going over one of the _former _galactic powers. That is to say, one that like the previously covered Goa'uld Empire has fallen, but in this case even more completely. A fate that I'm thankful for.

Who am I talking about? None other than the dreaded machine menace, the Replicators.

**The Replicators**

The Replicators were advanced robots that were capable of reproducing themselves indefinitely, consuming all available resources in an area to create more of themselves. Each Replicator is composed of a series of Replicator Blocks. Each block contained many keron pathways which served as their equivalent to a nervous system. They were also capable of producing new Blocks by leaching minerals from their surroundings and reshaping them as they required, though it took several Blocks working together to make new Blocks in a timely fashion.

The Replicators were capable of forming their blocks into many patterns determined by what they needed to accomplish, though these forms tended to look like "bugs." However, they could take other forms. Most terrifyingly as cybernetic augments to the corpses of their victims turning them into puppets the synthetics could then use for their own needs. A fate not unlike those assimilated by the Borg in the fictional Star Trek universe. Thankfully, this was not a common occurrence and only something the Replicators used when they needed to access vital information from organics.

The Blocks themselves were also quite hardy, particularly against energy weapons as they were capable of absorbing large amounts of energy, which they could use to empower themselves. This made them incredibly resistant, nigh immune in fact to anything short of heavy weapons, to energy weapons. Kinetic firearms were capable of permanently damaging Replicator Blocks, though this is obviously ineffective in spaceborne combat which means they are not anywhere close to being a proper counter to the machines. The only effective counter was the use of keron disruptor technology which had the ability to 'fry' the keron pathways vital to the operation of Replicator Blocks and thus render them inert.

Before I move onto other sections of this write-up, I need to point out that the Replicators are, so far as we've been able to ascertain, not related to the Asurans of the Pegasus galaxy. This is despite similarities in the technologies that underlie both synthetic species. As far as scholars have been able to decipher, both races' similarities are the product of convergent development.

Behaviour

Replicator behavior was in truth rather simplistic. They were driven by an insatiable drive to seek out the most advanced technology they could find, and incorporate it into their own being. As a corollary to this, Replicators are often capable of modifying a vessel to perform better than another of its class, to better defend themselves from threats.

Each Replicator unit was capable of independent behavior, but they were all unified in a single purpose which was self replication. To that end, they were remarkably adaptive allowing them to develop means at combating strategies that proved effective against them in the past. It was however noted that the Replicators often relied on basic swarm tactics, suggesting that while they were capable of superior tactical and even strategic thinking this was not their strong suit, instead often defaulting to basic behaviors when faced with threats.

History

The Replicators were a long-term enemy of the Asgard, so deadly that for a time they seemed to be on the verge of wiping out that ancient Great Race. However despite their millennia long conflict with them, the Asgard were never able to fully discern the origins of the machine menace. If it was ever known then it was lost as the Replicators ravaged the Ida galaxy.

Eventually the Asgard were able to receive technical help from the Chiropterans and tactical advisers from the U.S. Military, which helped to turn the tide.

However, this forced the Replicators to invade the Milky Way in a bid to seek out the source of this assistance either to eliminate it or assimilate their technology and develop counters. Faced with this deadly extragalactic threat, the free peoples of the Milky Way (and the Asgard) rallied together by forming the Coalition of Free Peoples to face this threat. Even then, what followed was a terrible struggle … _To see more click here_

* * *

**Review response/broadcast:**

**So LuluViBritania left a reviewer about Anubis' status as an Ascended Being. So let me explain things. Basically, Anubis is a _full_ Ascended Being in this verse. This means he receives all their weaknesses and most importantly strengths. Namely his ability to gain power from worship, which is what allows him to match Nimue in battle. **

**Why is he a full Ascended Being? It all starts from the fact that in the WoLverse, the Others have history with Ascended Beings of a type _different_ from what they would eventually become, namely ****the ancient Chiropterans, the Genestealers. They thus know there are Ascended Beings who unlike them maintain permanent material _and_ Ascended forms at the same when they first encounter such a Being aka Nimue, they thus know that Nimue is another form of Ascended from the get go, and their rules of non-interference kick in. Not fully, since she does associate with them and thus they do impose some of their rules on her. As a result, she ends up living in a grey area of their laws. So when they choose to decide what to do with Anubis after Oma Ascends him, they don't descend him like in Canon because that would be unjust as by that point he's not done anything wrong as an Ascended Being, even canon doesn't show any evidence of this, and they are all about being enlightened. Though they really don't want him in their little club on the Ascended Plane either. So they shunt him sideways if you will and turn him into something like Nimue. Another type of Ascended that they have no qualms keeping out of their Repository of Knowledge which is pretty much a right to all members of the Others, whilst moving him into the nice little grey area where they have set the precedent that they can impose their laws on him to an extent while giving him the freedom to act that they wouldn't allow members of their kind. That they _know _he'll abuse this freedom to go do things that will cause Oma pain just makes everything even more perfect as it'll double as punishment for her.**

**I tried to imply this by mentioning that Nimue isn't the same type of Ascended as the Others, the existence of other types of Ascended by introducing the Chiropterans, and showing Anubis was essentially the same type of Ascended as Nimue by their parallel circumstances, but I guess I was too unclear. Well, hopefully this clears it up. And that overall my logic on this topic is sound at least based on**** my points of departure from canon.**


	33. The War of the Jackal Begins

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 24: The War of the Jackal Begins**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Ba'al was seated in a lavish hall attending a feast on Anubis' flagship as a member of the enigmatic former exile's court. He was not the only prominent Goa'uld in attendance. His fellow System Lords Olokun, Amaterasu, Moloc, Bastet, and Svarog were also in attendance, as were a myriad of Underlords.

_Anubis has consolidated his power quite successfully. _Ba'al noted with some wariness. _Though has not been entirely successful it seems._

Morrigan and Camulus' absence was a sore thumb, a clear sign that they and a good number of Underlords had chosen to defect to Yu rather than throw their weight behind Anubis.

_And I can't help but wonder if they made the right choice. Anubis is powerful, of that there is no question, however he is now essentially opposed to the combined might of the rest of the galaxy. Even with the forces of the gathered Goa'uld, substantial though it remains, I doubt it will be sufficient. _Taking a sip of his wine and maintaining as much of the facade of calm that he had cultivated for centuries, he ignored the debauchery his fellow Goa'uld were engaging with throughout the hall as the event increasingly transited from a mere feast to a sampling the pleasures of the flesh. Instead, he continued examining his decision. _It's no like I had much choice in the matter. Considering my long term animosity with Yu, it would have been unlikely for him to accept me into this ranks. And even if he did, there was no way I'd accept becoming his vassal. The question is whether serving Anubis is any better?_

At this thought, Ba'al turned towards his new overlord who was seated on his throne at the head of the hall silently observing everyone like he was. Unlike Ba'al though he had not partaken in the festivities at all. The food and drink on the table in front of his throne being as untouched now as they had been when they were first brought out.

_Can he even consume normal food and drink anymore? _Ba'al mused as he looked at the pool of energy in his hood that hid Anubis' face. _What in the world has he transformed himself into?_

He pushed such thoughts aside however as Anubis stood. He was about to make an announcement and Ba'al knew he needed all his wits to decipher any hidden meanings that the notoriously cunning jackal included in whatever speech he was about to make.

"My fellow Goa'uld," Anubis said in that strange echoing voice that he now had. "If I could have your attention. I would like to inform you about our next move."

At his words, the orgy that much of the feast had become came to an abrupt stop and one by one the other Goa'uld heeded their new leader's command. Straightening themselves up, they turned to give the black robed Anubis their full attention.

Even as the fools recovered, Ba'al was taking the time to unpack Anubis' statement. _He said he was "informing" us what we would do next and not "discussing" it with us. He knows full well the power he holds over us now._

Unlike the other Goa'uld present, Anubis' might was still intact having only joined during the Replicator War and even then only playing a small part, relying instead on them to do the majority of the fighting. He thus now had an overwhelming military advantage over everyone present which when coupled with the advanced technology he was doling out as rewards to those who served him well, were proving to be powerful incentives for them to accept his overlordship.

"This move," Anubis said, once he had everyone's attention. "Will remind the galaxy of the might of the Goa'uld."

This was met with approval form most of the crowd, though Ba'al noted his fellow System Lords looking uneasy. They, like him, probably realized that any move that purported to achieve such an effect would risk a great deal of their remaining military power. The galaxy was uniting against the Goa'uld for the first time and it was increasingly looking like the Empire was too weak to face the challenge.

Anubis did not appear to share this concern as he instead chose to make a bold declaration.

"We will take Delmak from Sokar!"

* * *

A week after Anubis' declaration, Ba'al's doubts about Anubis had only grown. The madman, for that was what he had become convinced he was, had declared they would take the throne world of one of the greatest remaining Goa'uld. Worse, Sokar was allied to Nimue and through her to Yu and the Coalition as well! Any attack against him was liable to bring the weight of the galaxy upon them at a time when they were still reeling from the losses from the Replicator invasion!

Despite this however, Ba'al knew he was stuck. Betraying Anubis now would be suicide as it would be tantamount to turning the rest of the Empire against him. Without allies of the caliber of Yu or Nimue, neither of whom were likely to be willing to assist him, he would not survive such an act. As such, Ba'al found himself forced to continue serving as one of Anubis' vassals.

It was in this capacity that he found himself being given a tour of a facility that Anubis wanted him to manage by his overlord's First Prime Her'ak. That the blonde Jaffa, and not at least a Underlord, was acting as his guide was a sign of how far he, and the other System Lords, had fallen.

He was brought out of his musings when the Jaffa stopped at a balcony overlooking a large atrium, and gestured below. Following his prompt, Ba'al looked down with unease at ranks upon ranks of troops in black full body power armor.

"These _Lord _Ba'al," the Jaffa said, tinging his title with distaste. "Are Orak. Super soldiers artificially created in this facility by my Lord. They are quite monstrous, so be thankful that their armor conceals their true appearance."

"Anubis intends to use them as shock troopers?"

"_Lord_ Anubis," the Jaffa corrected before continuing. "Intends to use these Kull warriors to subjugate the galaxy. Your role is to ensure he has a ready, constant supply of them."

"I am sure that I will be up to the task," Ba'al said with a hint of sarcastic self-deprecation.

"You will," the impudent fool replied haughtily. "Or risk Lord Anubis' displeasure."

Ba'al frowned, a sign to the Jaffa of his mounting displeasure for being spoken to with such disrespect.

Instead of being intimidated the fool had the audacity to smirk even as he turned back to face the ranks of Kull below.

"These Kull are still incomplete however." The blonde said. "There is still one element of their design that is missing but which we'll soon rip from Sokar's dying hands."

"And what would that be?"

"Tell me, how impressive would the Kull be if their armor was as resistant to energy weapons as the Replicators?"

* * *

The Chiropteran Hive Queen Pamela lounged on a settee on the bridge of their flagship, the _Duchêne_, as she listened disinterestedly to Amelia as she rattled off the outlines of some strange movements by the Goa'uld in the past couple weeks.

_This is so boring! _Pamela thought with a frown. She'd much rather drag her sister back to their quarters and do unspeakable things to her, though she supposed as she looked at Amelia's swollen womb underneath her dress while she caressed her own that they've been doing more than enough of that lately.

A smack to her head by her twin dragged her away from her lewd ponderings and back to the present.

"Pamela, pay attention or I won't breed with you for a whole week." Amelia threatened in an angry hiss.

_And she'd carry through on it too._ Pamela realized with horror even as her twin muttered to herself about why Pamela had to take after Mama Diva so much and about how she wonders how Mama Saya handles having an uncontrollable nymphomaniac as a sister Queen.

"Um, so what's the problem with the Goa'uld?" Pamela asked contritely once it seemed Amelia had gotten all her frustrations out of her system.

"They are visiting long abandoned worlds as if they were searching for something, some of which are in the Abydonian sector." Amelia explained, with a small smile indicating her pleasure that Pamela was being serious for once.

_Of course I am! I don't want to sleep on the couch for a whole week!_

She had the good sense to keep _that _thought to herself though and instead nodded along as Amelia kept going.

"As those in charge of the sector's security for the Coalition, these movements are concerning."

"If you're so concerned why not just dispatch a fleet to go investigate and if need be intervene?" Pamela asked with a frown.

"That was my intention," Amelia said with a sigh. "I was asking you for your consent to do so earlier, but you weren't listening. We agreed that we wouldn't deploy our fleets unless we both consented, remember?"

_We had made that promise after the mauling over Papillion, hadn't we?_

"Oh," Pamela said apologetically. "Sorry."

Amelia waved the apology away. "So should we send a fleet or not?"

Pamela just nodded.

"Good, then I'll inform Surefoot to launch immediately."

* * *

The aforementioned Chevalier had responded to her Queen's command immediately and set out with a fleet 120 _Bonaparte_s and 300 _Résurrection_s, many on loan from sister Hives, to confront a Goa'uld fleet that they had detected violating Coalition protected space over Abydos.

Jumping out of hyperspace the former centaur was alarmed that the Goa'uld had already began landing troops.

_Ship count? _She queried the Fleetmind as she considered her options.

_138 Ha'tak, 219 Shel'tak, 583 Al'kesh._ The collective will of her Pilots informed her. _Receiving transmission from surface. Allied band. Audio only._

_Let me hear it._ Surefoot ordered, deciding that hearing from the allied forces on the ground would help her formulate a better strategy in the coming engagement.

"This is Colonel O'Neill from SG 1 to allied forces in orbit! Over!"

"This is Surefoot of the Chiropteran Swarm, we're vectoring in to engage the Goa'uld now. Sorry for being late. What's the situation down there?"

"The Goa'uld have landed troops. A lot of them." O'Neill replied over the sound of gunfire and the whoosh of Staff Weapon discharges. "They've seized the pyramid with the Stargate and are searching it. Don't seem interested in anything else though."

"My sensors read that you're in the pyramid as well," Surefoot noted with some alarm. "Are you okay?"

"We're trying to retake the Stargate and stop them. We're managing. A little help with the snakes' fleet would be nice though."

"Understood. Leave that to me." Surefoot reassured the living legend.

"Gotcha. Good luck. O'Neill out."

"Thank you," the Chevalier replied. "Surefoot out."

The young Chiropteran took a moment to process the fact that she'd just spoken to _the _Jack O'Neill! The Slayer of Ra! A man revered across the galaxy.

_Now's not the time to be starstruck! _The young girl thought shaking her head. _Fleetmind, hail the Goa'uld,_

_Comms link established._

"Attention Goa'uld forces." Surefoot said the moment the viewscreen ahead of her began displaying the image of a blonde Jaffa wearing the golden mark of Anubis on his forehead. "This is Coalition space. Leave immediately or be destroyed."

"This is Goa'uld space." The young man spat back. "Neither your petty Coalition nor your Swarm has any say here, Chiropteran."

"This is your final warning, Goa'uld forces," Surefoot said ignoring the Jaffa's defiance. "Leave or prepare to be fired upon."

The man frowned and prepared to speak but suddenly paused to look to the side, presumably to one of his subordinates, before turning back to the viewscreen and smirked. Without another word, he cut the connection.

_Wha-_

Before Surefoot could even fully formulate a questioning thought at the Jaffa's actions, the large majority of the Goa'uld fleet began bombarding the planet while the flagship and a handful of escorts fled.

_They're getting away! _Surefoot cursed. _We need to pursue!_

_Ongoing bombardment of friendly planet. _The Fleetmind reminded her sternly.

_Right! Sorry! Launch fighters and fire at will! Take those ships out before they kill all our allies down there! _

_Already engaging. _The Fleetmind reprimanded. Her orders having been unnecessary, as the moment the Goa'uld fleet began their bombardment, the Fleetmind had acted as she dithered and opened fire. At the same time, the Pilots of her fighters had likewise acted ahead of her and swarmed out of their hangars towards the snakes' fleet.

Surefoot sent an embarrassed, apologetic burst of emotion back even as she issued more orders. _Chasseur take your squadron and chase down the escaping Goa'uld ships. _

_Affirmative. _The Pilot of the battleship _Chasseur _sent back as it and the nine other battleships of its squadron broke away from their main fleet. Pushing their sublight engines to maximum they made to intercept the escaping Goa'uld ships.

Certain that capturing those ships was the most important thing in this battle, Surefoot melded her mind with the Pilots of the _Chasseur _squadron. It was with her will that the remaining fighters of the ten ships shot out of their bays to try and close the distance with the Goa'uld. A move the enemy matched by launching their own fighters to intercept, creating a fighter melee that quickly devolving into the typical chaotic skirmish.

_Fire at them! _Surefoot demanded.

_Enemy out of range. Fire ineffective!_

_We have to try something!_

_Firing. _The _Chasseur _squadron's collective obeyed reluctantly.

Their polaron cannons, the longest ranged weapons they had, fired in burst after burst. However, the enemy were simply too far away and they failed to do anything of substance as they either petered out before hitting the enemy or the weakened beams splashed harmlessly against their shields.

_How in the world are they so fast!? _Surefoot screamed as the snake's ships kept maintaining the distance, and were even pulling away.

_Enemy escaping inhibitor field. _The _Chasseur _squadron's collective informed her, much to her frustration.

_I know! We can't let them! Push your engines harder!_

_Engines at full burn. _The collective replied with a hint of annoyance and frustration. _Capture is impossible._

_No! _Surefoot cried out even as the Goa'uld ships opened a stable hyperspace window and surged through it to safety.

Furious at letting her quarry escape, Surefoot turned her attention at the remaining Goa'uld ships.

_Die! _She snarled into the Fleetmind. _Kill them all! Leave none of these murderers alive!_

* * *

_I failed. _Surefoot thought as tears rolled down her cheek and she looked down at the large patch of glass on the surface of Abydos. _I couldn't save them. All for nothing._

Despite the loss of their fleet, the Goa'uld had most definitely gotten what they'd come here for in the first place. All because Surefoot had let their flagship escape. Because of that all the Abydonians who had died today had loss their lives for nothing. Nothing at all.

_At least SG 1 escaped. _Pamela, her Queen, comforted her through the Hivemind.

Surefoot could only nod. That was the only bright spot in this disaster.

_Not quite. _Amelia sent, _Not if what we sensed on the Ascended Plane is anything to go by._

_Even if this isn't as much of a disaster as it first seems, I've still failed._

_Everyone fails sometimes. _Pamela reminded. _You just need to learn from your mistakes._

"And I will," Surefoot said with conviction. "Next time, I swear that I'll do better."

* * *

A month after the destruction of Abydos, Louis, Chevalier of the Swarm Queen Diva, commanded a Coalition fleet of 320 _Bonaparte_s, 700 _Résurrection_s, 874 Ha'tak, 1137 Shel'tak, 2671 Al'kesh, 312 Ohne destroyers, and 912 Reetou frigates as it transited through hyperspace en route to intercept a large Goa'uld fleet that was on its way into Sokar's space.

As much as the Coalition hated the exiled Goa'uld System Lord and would have liked to see him destroyed, they recognized the threat to the galaxy should Anubis do the deed and like so often when it came to intra-Goa'uld conflict absorb Sokar's forces as the victor. As such, in spite of their misgivings about Sokar, they had decided to come to his aid.

They had tracked the forming Goa'uld invasion fleet to a world just outside of Sokar's domain where it was picking up the last of its supplies before going on the offensive. Judging that this would leave the large armada that at last count consisted of 1 unknown dreadnought, 1623 Ha'tak, 1673 Shel'tak, and 3127 Al'kesh vulnerable, the Coalition's leaders had decided this was the time to strike. With the capabilities of the dreadnought wholly unknown, it was felt that they should take every advantage they could.

_Transiting to normal space. _The Fleetmind informed him as the blue of hyperspace faded to be replaced with the black of normal space studded with the occasional distant star.

Looking at the enemy fleet before him even as he instructed his forces to get into their formations, he noted that the intelligence on the opposing fleet's size and composition was spot on.

_As expected of Nimue's spies. _Louis thought appreciatively even as his eyes gravitated to Anubis' new dreadnought at the heart of the enemy fleet. It had looked intimidating in the images that accompanied the intelligence reports, which sadly contained little detail on its capabilities, but looked even more so in person. At least more so than Nimue's Mel'taks.

It had a massive disc-shape surrounded by numerous spikes that protruded from the vessel's edges. Unlike the Ha'tak, this mothership did not possess a central pyramid-structure but rather a large dome.

_Enough rubbernecking, time to get-_

Louis' thoughts were interrupted when suddenly a sense of alarm coursed through the Fleetmind as the dome of the unknown dreadnought opened to reveal a weapons array that proceeded to release discharges of orange energy that acted somewhat like arcs of static electricity that struck two dozen different ships in a single storm like burst of energy and destroyed all of them.

_Impossible! We should be well out of the range of all known Goa'uld weapons. _Louis noted with incredulity even as he ordered his forces to move into defensive formations. _What the hell is that thing!?_

_Enemy fleet closing to engage. _The Fleetmind warned.

The Chevalier's attention though was focused on the enemy dreadnought whose superweapon was very visibly building up charge once more as energy arced with increasing intensity across its array.

_We can't win this! _Louis realized with resignation. _Not with that monster ship on the field._

"All allied ships!" Louis shouted, his voice shaking with impotent rage, over the open comms bands of his fleet. "Retreat! I repeat retreat!"

Even as he gave the order, the dreadnought fired once more and another storm of orange lightning played across the Coalition fleet destroying dozens more ships.

_Get us out of here, _Louis commanded the Fleetmind as he glared furiously at the enemy dreadnought.

* * *

**Done!**

**Hope you guys liked this chapter even though it's mainly a pair of defeats for the protagonists. Sometimes, you need to lose before you can win. Besides, while this is the best possible timeline for this verse, that doesn't mean that **_**everything **_**will go the way of the heroes.**

**That's enough from me for now, so till next time ciao!**


	34. The Battle of Delmak

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 25: The Battle of Delmak**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Nimue looked through the viewscreen on the Pel'tak of her Mel'tak _Pride of Albion_ at the Coalition fleet that had been amassed and was preparing to space fold to Delmak to assist Sokar's defense of his throne world against Anubis' invasion.

_I never thought this day would come. _The Ascended Goa'uld thought with a shake of her head. _Until now, I've only seen my supposed alliance with Sokar as a temporary non-aggression agreement at best. I honestly never thought I would ever actually go to his defense._

That said with Delmak being such a heavily industrialized world, it was a major prize that they could not allow to fall into Anubis' hands.

"Your Majesty," Eldarose said, stepping up to her side. "All ships are in position."

"Then fold." Nimue said distractedly, not taking her eyes off the vast fleet of ships that were under her command. She thus bore witness as a wall of energy spread across them as the fold drives of her Mel'taks covered the whole fleet and transported them across the galaxy into the orbit of Delmak.

"Lady Eldarose, Sokar's fleet are requesting permission to join our formations." The _Pride_'s comms officer reported.

"Permission granted." Her daughter said professionally. "What's our full fleet strength?"

"2 Mel'taks, 22 Asgard _O'Neill_s, 78 Asgard _Bilskirnir_s, 1 unknown Goa'uld dreadnought, 500 Chiropteran _Bonaparte_s, 2000 Chiropteran _Résurrection_s, 1368 Ha'tak, 2076 Shel'tak, 3717 Al'kesh, 607 Ohne destroyers, and 2371 Reetou frigates, my lady."

"Quite the fleet," Eldarose noted.

"Yes," Nimue agreed distractedly as she examined Sokar's new dreadnought. "Let us hope that it is enough."

It was larger than a Ha'tak, though still slightly smaller than a Mel'tak. It had a large central pyramid and a large superstructure around it that was punctuated by large prongs at three points in a vaguely triangular pattern. Pressing a few buttons on her kara kesh, she brought up the sensor readings on the ship and gave a small impressed nod. The ship possessed a faster hyperdrive, had superior shields, and had more powerful weapons than a standard Ha'tak by a significant margin. As a whole, it was roughly comparable to a Mel'tak.

Considering that he did not have access to the magitech crafted by her Magi that she had used to enhance her own ships and were a core component of the Mel'tak, it was quite a feat for him to have managed it.

"Your Majesty, Lord Sokar is hailing us."

"Put it on screen."

Sokar's hooded visage appeared on the viewscreen. One that was highly disturbing as his host was a bald man with pale skin, yellow eyes and prominent black veins all across his face. More than one of her highly professional crew flinched at the sight of him.

"Thank you Nimue," Sokar said in a sibilant whisper. "For coming to my aid."

"Save your gratitude Sokar," Nimue replied coolly. "I'm not here out of any desire to help you. I am wholly motivated by a desire to oppose Anubis."

"My thanks regardless," the Goa'uld who modeled himself after the devil said with a grateful nod.

Nimue returned the nod disinterestedly and signaled for the comms link to be cut.

"And now we wait," she said as she turned away from the viewscreen that had returned to showing a real time exterior view. "How long till the enemy is expected to arrive?"

"We're picking them up our sensors already, your Majesty. ETA should be within the next hour or so."

"Eldarose, confer with Sokar's commanders and integrate them into our forces." Nimue ordered as she moved to take a seat on her command throne.

"Yes, your Majesty."

* * *

Nimue was a very patient person. She had waited thousands of years slowly acquiring power and waiting for her chance before she made her move against the Goa'uld Empire. Thus to her, the wait for Anubis' fleet to arrive and for the battle to begin was nothing at all.

For her crews and those on her allied vessels though, she knew it was a nerve wracking experience as the seconds ticked by and the fear of what was about to come built. She thus said nothing as the _Pride_'s Pel'tak was filled with the sound of more than a few sighs of relief when the sensors officer confirmed that the enemy was transiting out of hyperspace.

She however did allow herself a gasp of shock at the presence she felt as Anubis' fleet exited their hyperspace window.

_An Ascended Being here? _Nimue thought incredulously as she stood. _I need to investigate this. If they interfere…_

"Eldarose, you have command." The Ascended Goa'uld shouted urgently even as she transformed into her Ascended Form and reached out with her power to pull the other Ascended Being with her as she moved into the Ascended Plane.

Materializing in the stark white void of this untouched section of the Plane, she was surprised to find herself face to face with the shadowy being from Dakara. She was however not given much time to think on the matter as he immediately shot a barrage of shadow bolts at her, forcing her to dodge out of the way.

"You are a fool to face me again Nimue," the man barked in a voice that was beginning to stir some of her long buried memories. "I'll enjoy paying you back for the injury you dealt me on Dakara."

"Anubis!?" Nimue asked incredulously as she finally placed the voice, ducking under a shadow bolt and unleashed a lightning storm which burned away all the shadows chasing her at the same time.

"Yes. Now die!" Anubis declared as he shot a jet black beam of raw power at Nimue, which she met by channeling all the lightning of her still raging storm into a single immense bolt.

For a moment the two powerful forces fought against each other, pushing back and forth in a deadly contest of strength. This lasted for only a few minutes though before the building power proved too much and the point of contact between the two forces was engulfed by an explosion.

Nimue was pushed back by the blast and barely managed to keep standing by hastily raising a wall of water that absorbed most of the force unleashed by the explosion. As the aftershocks faded away, she glanced towards Anubis, and found that he'd fared worse. The shield of shadows he had likely conjured to protect him having shattered, with its fragments littering the ground all around his body where he lay sprawled on the ground.

Acting quickly she sent her wall of water surging forward in a tidal wave to capture and drown him. However, he recovered quickly enough to conjure a tide of black flames of his own that negated her own attack and created a cloud of steam in the process.

Not wanting to give him any more time to recover, Nimue leapt through the steam.

* * *

"Eldarose, you have command." Mother shouted suddenly, causing Eldarose to turn towards her in shock as the woman became living lightning before vanishing.

In spite of this shocking development, Eldarose was the First Fleet Lord of the Albion Stellar Empire and there was a battle at hand. Thus, through sheer force of will and all the experience and training that came with her station, she shunted the surprise aside so as to carry out her duty.

"Relay to all allied ships. I have command."

"Yes, my lady."

Even as her comms officer dutifully spread the word, Eldarose turned to the tactical map that now dominated the primary viewscreen. Through it and the real time feed to the side, she saw as Anubis' superweapon fired. From the domed firing array of his dreadnought, orange lightning shot forth and arced through the heart of Sokar's formations, destroying dozens of Ha'tak surrounding the exile's own dreadnought.

Watching as mothership after mothership was by the deadly weapon's incredible power, Eldarose couldn't help but grimace at how they'd let get away unchallenged Anubis build something so devastating. They hadn't even known that the System Lord was hunting the six Eyes of the Goa'uld, the six crystalline power sources originally built by the Ancients and discovered by the Goa'uld which now powered, if Intelligence was to be believed, the Anubis' superweapon.

_If only we stopped him at Abydos where he collected the Eye of Ra. _The daughter of Nimue thought with annoyance as she saw the shields of Sokar's dreadnought shields flare brilliantly as the energy of Anubis' weapon coursed all over it. They held, if only for a moment, before shattering. They however served their purpose and saved the ship from immediate destruction though the series of small explosions that erupted all across its frame did not bode well.

"Sokar is reporting his flaghship is disabled." Eldarose's XO reported.

"Ask him to transfer his fla-"

"No," the unnaturally pale Goa'uld said as his face appeared in a window on the upper left hand corner of the central viewscreen. "This is the safest ship in this battle at the moment. Anubis will not fire on an already disabled ship. He will want to salvage it for himself so staying onboard is the safest choice."

"Very well," Eldarose growled in annoyance. "You'll be commanding from that wreck then?"

"I will," Sokar said with a curt nod before cutting the line.

Setting aside her thoughts about their stubborn ally for now, Eldarose turned to her XO. "What's the tactical situation?"

"We're holding the line for now. The standard Goa'uld ships are enhanced but still manageable. That dreadnought though..." the younger woman trailed off nervously.

Eldarose didn't need her to elaborate on her concerns. She shared them. Anubis' dreadnought would ravage their forces if not taken out soon. As if to prove this point, it once more fired its superweapon causing a chaotic burst of orange lightning bolts to play havoc through their lines destroying every one of the dozens of ships that it touched.

"Order the Asgard to make an attack run on that damned thing!" Eldarose commanded. The Asgard had the most agile capital ships in their fleet. If anyone could fly through the enemy's tightly packed formations and take out the dreadnought it was them.

"Yes, my lady." The comms officer replied. "The Asgard commander copies. They are moving in for an attack run as ordered."

Eldarose nodded and turned to the tactical display to see the Asgard contingent forming up into a spindle formation and charging directly into the Goa'uld lines. The latter buckled, the superior firepower of the Asgard ships overwhelming them, and it was beginning to look like they were about to break through. Unfortunately, this was exactly when the dreadnought fired on them.

Unlike the ships of the other Coalition races, the Asgard ships were not immediately destroyed by the the deadly weapon but it visibly shattered their shields and they were forced to pull back. The Goa'uld, not being fools, immediately exploited their weakness with their conventional weapons sinking a half dozen Asgard vessels as they fled.

"Asgard commander reports they will regroup and recharge shields before trying again."

"Affirmative," Eldarose replied with a nod. "Next time we'll need to support them with a push along the whole line too. Relay that to all contingents."

"Yes, my lady."

_I hope that'll be enough._

* * *

Nimue charged out of the cloud of steam with a pair of lightning scimitars in her hands that she snapped around Anubis' body like a set of scissors cutting it in half. Unfortunately, this was merely a decoy and it exploded in her face sending her flying.

Laughing maniacally, Anubis emerged from the dissipating cloud of steam to the right of his dummy and lobbed a shadow bolt at her but Nimue easily deflected the attack with a scimitar whilst simultaneously regaining her footing.

"Nimble aren't you?" The other Ascended Goa'uld said in his slimy voice. "I never did take you for much of a warrior. I guess appearances can be deceiving."

"You should know that better than most," Nimue shot back as she leapt at her foe, turning into pure lightning along the way and streaking towards him.

He responded by turning into a mass of living shadow and fled, Nimue's lightning form chasing him. The two engaging in a high speed game of cut and mouse across the local portion of the Ascended Plane, with Anubis lobbing the occasional shadow bolt or beam of dark energy at his pursuer while Nimue fired bullets of water and lances of lightning at him in turn.

* * *

Eldarose stumbled in the orange tinted surroundings created by the clash of Anubis' superweapon trying to overcome the _Pride of Albion_'s shields, the latter glowing a blinding orange as lightning of a darker shade played across the bubble of energy.

"Damage report!" Her XO demanded a breath before she could do the same.

"Shields are down to 10%. Minor damage reported across the ship. Damage control teams are responding."

"Fall back!" Eldarose barked. "We'll recharge our shields at the back lines and then reengage."

"Yes, my lady." Her XO replied dutifully, before continuing more hesitantly. "But our lines are-"

Eldarose nodded in understanding. Their lines were crumbling. Each time Anubis' dreadnought fired, they lost dozens of ships and as the battle dragged on they were becoming increasingly unable to sustain those losses.

"Hail from Lord Sokar," the comms officer shouted suddenly.

"On screen."

"Daughter of Nimue," the ghostly looking Goa'uld said with a nod. "We've sustained too many losses. This battle is lost. We need to retreat."

Eldarose gritted her teeth and nodded, unwilling but forced to accept his logic. Their losses were simply too high. They could not keep this up.

"What will you do?"

"You need not worry about me," Sokar said with a cunning smirk. "I'll scuttle my flagship and join you in an escape ship. My Jaffa are already planting the charges. Now give the order."

With his piece said, the comms link went dead. Eldarose barely noticed, instead moving on to the unenviable task of carrying out his advice.

"All ships! Retreat!" Eldarose shouted, even as it killed her to speak the words. "I repeat! All ships, retreat!"

"Allied ships are disengaging from the enemy," her XO reported a moment later. "They are forming up around us in anticipation of a fold."

"Just as planned then?"

Her XO nodded.

"Keep pulling us back," Eldarose said. "Give us some distance from the enemy."

"Yes, my lady."

"What's the status on Sokar?"

"His flagship is being ripped apart by explosions, my lady." The sensors officer reported. "Detecting a lone Tel'tak escaping from the ship."

"Enemy forces vectoring in to intercept!" Her tactical officer shouted and Eldarose spun to the relevant section of the tactical display just in time to see a trio of enemy Ha'tak focus their fire on Sokar's escape ship. The nimble transport ship evaded a few shots and its doubtlessly enhanced shields weathered a few more, but it was hopelessly outclassed and in minutes it succumbed to the relentless fire and exploded in a fireball.

"Did he-"

"No transport detected." Her XO reported. "Sokar's dead."

"Damn it!"

* * *

Nimue had been chasing Anubis for what seemed like an hour already, exchanging attacks all the while, and yet had not managed to even score a decent hit on her opponent.

_I need a new approach. _The Albionian Mother Empress decided. _I haven't used one of those in a while. So why not?_

"**_Expecto Patronum__!_**" Nimue incanted with the full weight of her power.

Called into being by her spell, an entire herd of stags each made of positive emotion and her raw power stampeded ahead of her as bolts of lightning with their antlers lowered, ready to gore her enemy.

"What madness is this!?" Anubis roared as he found himself suddenly beset from all sides and was forced to fight off dozens of attackers at once. "You think this will be enough!? Taste my power, Nimue!"

At his words, a nova of dark energy exploded out from him disintegrating her herd of Patronuses and even sending her flying.

As she she regained her footing, she turned to see Anubis hovering in the air surrounded by a aura of malevolent dark power and writhing shadows. She was unfazed however and clothed herself in the power of the storm.

Across the empty Ascended Plane where they stood, a featureless man surrounded by darkness that mortals might have mistaken for a devil stared down a beautiful woman whose body was made of lightning and whose dress was a churning storm. Both Ascended Beings were gathering power, Anubis in a pitch black sphere directly in front of him while Nimue did the same in the form of a crackling mass of lightning above her head

_More! I need more power! _Nimue thought as she pulled as much power as she could muster and poured it into her lightning. It was in doing so that she sensed a large source of her power was moving away from her and chanced a glance at the cause.

_The fleet is retreating? Damn it! If only I had a little longer!_

Despite her complaint, Nimue did not waste a beat and unleashed her attack as a cover while transporting herself onto the Pel'tak of her flagship. She was thus not there when her lightning lanced right through the beam of darkness Anubis shot at it, dispersing it in the process before it struck the System Lord's side, nor was she there to hear him scream in agony as the massive amounts of power she'd gathered discharged into his body and scarred his very soul.

* * *

Instead Nimue rematerialized on the Pel'tak of the _Pride of Albion _just as her flagship's fold bubble collapsed and transported the fleet away to a safe location in deep space.

"Eldarose, report."

"We lost," her daughter informed her with a frown. "Anubis' dreadnought was just too powerful."

"Did we at least learn anything useful about it? Something we could use to develop a counter against it?" Nimue asked, smothering the desire to cry out in frustration at their defeat.

"Nothing that comes to mind, but maybe the ana-"

"Your Majesty, we're receiving a hail from Sokar's First Prime."

"His First Prime?"

"Sokar was killed in the battle earlier."

"I see," Nimue said with a conflicted sigh. On the one hand, this meant it was likely Anubis would absorb Sokar's forces and become even stronger. On the other hand, Sokar was a vile individual whose death should have been celebrated. Deciding she could figure out how she should take this turn of events later, she signaled to accept the call.

"Greetings your Majesty, My name is Fel'tan, First Prime of Lord Sokar." A lean middle aged Jaffa with Middle Eastern features said. "I am sad to inform you that my god is dead."

"And that means what exactly, Fel'tan?" Nimue asked, her eyes narrowed. "Who do you serve now?"

"As per Lord Sokar's standing orders, your Majesty, we now serve _you_."

"What?" Nimue gasped, caught so completely off guard that she lost her composure and blinked in surprise at that announcement.

* * *

Even as Nimue was overcome by pleasant surprise, Anubis was plagued with unimaginable pain from the deep soul searing wound Nimue had dealt him. Every moment it sent bursts of agony throughout his consciousness and forced him to clutch his side. It left him looking utterly undignified and thus he had cleared the Pel'tak of his dreadnought so that none could see him in his moment of weakness.

_It could be worse. _The Ascended Goa'uld thought as he struggled to distract himself from his torment. _If Nimue hadn't run off when she did, Ascended Being or not, I would be dead._

This was something Anubis knew well. If the other Ascended Goa'uld had attacked him even one more time, she would have torn his essence asunder and killed him.

_So much for Ascension granting me immortality. _Anubis scoffed. _I'm just harder to kill but in the end, I'm just as mortal as I ever was._

He was shaken from his musings when a series of explosions ripped across the surface of Delmak far below as being displayed on the Pel'tak's primary viewscreen.

"Her'ak!" Anubis shouted for his First Prime, while forcing himself to adopt the regal posture he usually wore despite the pain.

Like the loyal dog he was, the blonde Jaffa hurried into the room.

"Yes, my lord?"

"What is happening on the surface?" The System Lord asked gesturing to the explosions which were still blooming across the planet.

"It is Sokar's Necropolis Guards, my lord." Her'ak explained immediately. "They are setting off pre-prepared charges to destroy the planet's production facilities."

"They are what?" Anubis howled, furious. "Sokar is dead, why have they not surrendered? "

"I do not know, my lord." Her'ak confessed. "Reports indicate they are citing some kind of standing orders from Sokar."

"That fox! He must have prepared this in advance to deny Delmak's industry to anyone who seized the world from him."

"It appears so, my lord."

"Have we at least secured our primary objective?"

The First Prime nods and gestured to his subordinates waiting outside the Pel'tak. At his command, a group of Jaffa entered the Pel'tak carrying a set of armor with purple veins running throughout an otherwise matt black surface.

"A sample of the energy dissipating armor Sokar reverse engineered from studying the Replicators, my lord." Her'ak said pointing to the armor. "Just as you ordered, we made securing it a priority and were able to to do before the Necropolis Guards destroyed it."

"Good." Anubis said disinterestedly as he admired the armor.

"My apologies, my lord." Her'ak said cautiously drawing Anubis' attention from the armor. "But we have news from the surface."

"What is it?" Anubis asked irritably.

"We've discovered a copy of Sokar's standing orders." Her'ak said waiting for Anubis' permission to continue, wary as he should be about whether his god wanted to be disturbed by such a triviality.

For a moment Anubis was tempted to amuse himself by taking his own time before responding, making the Jaffa anxious as he awaited a reply, but a surge of pain reminded him he needed to make this quick so he could heal in private.

"What are they?"

"In the event of his death, they've been ordered to destroy any and all industrial infrastructure and research facilities on Delmak or any worlds captured by the enemy and…"

"And what?" Anubis demanded, already having a sinking suspicion.

"And to swear their allegiance to Nimue."

"Out!" Anubis roared, beyond furious at having lost out to Nimue once more.

Even the sight of his men running for their lives didn't please the Ascended God as it usually would. Instead, all he felt was rage at what he felt was yet another humiliation dealt him by that accursed woman.

"Damn you Nimue!"

* * *

**And done!**

**So in this verse Anubis attacked Sokar in search of energy dissipating armor to complete his Kull warriors. If this sounds familiar it's because I got the idea from Hotpoint's **_**XSGCOM Series**_**. It's a sadly unfinished, but incredible SG 1 and UFO: Enemy Unknown crossover series. Though I added a new spin to the idea by making it so Sokar's armor was actually derived from reverse engineering Replicator technology. Hope you guys like the idea and the chapter as a whole.**

**Till next time, peace out!**


	35. Rallying to Earth's defence

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 26: Rallying to Earth's defence**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

On an unnamed, unclaimed world in the far corners of the Milky Way, Surefoot in her combat form strode forward unafraid as she tossed fireballs at a Kull warrior even as it leveled both its wrists at her and fired its plasma repeaters on full auto, leaving the plasma to tear into her flesh and allowing her regeneration to heal the damage.

Next to her, dozens of Warriors likewise unleashed the full weight of their arsenals at the Kull. Within moments, the abomination's shield collapsed like so much glass. Despite that it stood firm, holding its ground even against overwhelming numbers and firepower. It was only as its energy dissipating armor began sparking as it overloaded did the slow witted creature realize the danger and tried to duck behind one of the rocky outcrops that dotted the hilly area that was their battleground.

However, just as the Kull was about to duck behind some cover, Rek'tor materialized right in front of it. Slamming into Anubis' frankenstein creation, Surefoot's fellow Chevalier sent it flying into a rock. Disorientated by the impact, the Kull could only lay there as the weight of fire finally overwhelmed its armor and it began taking real damage. Despite the pain it must be suffering, the creature released no sound.

"Cease fire!" Surefoot shouted, once she sensed that the Kull was dead.

"Is it dead?" Her Queen asked from the behind the safety of a wall of Warriors.

"Yes," Surefoot said even as lobbed one last extra powerful fireball at the misbegotten creature and set its body aflame.

"Good, then we can finally have our picnic."

"Pamela, you can't be serious!" Amelia shouted back. "We just got attacked by an assassin and you want to still have a picnic."

"Hey, it's dead isn't it?"

Shaking her head at her Queen's endearing immaturity, Surefoot walked up to the charred corpse and next to Rek'tor. Together the two Chevaliers examined the body.

"That thing's armor made it quite an impressive weapon." Her brother noted. "I shudder to think how much more effective they would be as shock troops instead of mere assassins."

"Yeah," the former centaur agreed. "But they're still deadly as assassins. They _did _manage to kill a whole bunch of Yu's Underlords didn't they? And that dramatic killing of the Ohne leadership?"

"That's true," Rek'tor agreed. "Anubis certainly is clearing the way for his offensive isn't he?"

Surefoot agreed with a worried frown.

* * *

_This has to end here!_ Louis thought to himself full of determination as his fleet of 2 Mel'taks, 30 _O'Neill_s, 97 _Bilskirnir_s, 700 _Bonaparte_s, 3000 _Résurrection_s, 2818 Ha'tak, 3761 Shel'tak, 6721 Al'kesh, 1072 Ohne destroyers, and 4221 Reetou frigates moved to intercept Anubis' deadly flaghship and it's escort fleet of 3564 Ha'tak, 5142 Shel'tak, 8752 Al'kesh over Chulak.

For weeks now the System Lord had been cutting a swathe through Coalition, mainly Free Jaffa, space while making a beeline towards Earth. Though why he was suddenly targeting the Tau'ri and Chiropteran homeworld was beyond anyone. That however did not stop the Coalition from making every attempt to stop him, but these had proven futile in the face of the power of the superweapon he'd installed into his dreadnought.

_All ships! Spindle formation. _Louis sent to the forces under his command. _We'll pierce through its escorts and take out that dreadnought. None of the other ships matter._

This was met with a series of wary but determined affirmatives and the Coalition fleet surged into the fray. Unleashing the full weight of their firepower they slowly but steadily began puncturing through the defensive lines of the Goa'uld's spherical defensive formation. Their fighters and the small nimble Reetou frigates bursting out of the formation and trying to fly through the gaps in between the capital ships to make direct attack runs on Anubis' dreadnought but being waylaid at every turn by intercepting Goa'uld fighters.

_Durandal lost! Nüwa's Mercy crippled! 12th Hogsmeade Fighter Squadron wiped out!..._

The reports of friendly losses were mounting ever higher, coming in as a seemingly endless stream over the Fleetmind. And Anubis' dreadnought hadn't even fired yet!

Yet Louis grit his teeth and continued to push his forces forward.

_Keep going! We're almost there! Just a little further. _

As if to taunt his resolve, he had barely finished sending the encouraging words to his men when the dreadnought finally activated its superweapon and unleashed its devastating power against Louis' fleet. In a instant, all the progress the Coalition forces had made was wiped out as the orange lightning of the weapon's discharge arced across the entire vanguard of their fleet and destroyed every ship it touched.

"Chevalier Louis," the Asgard Commander Tyr said over an urgent hail. "The Goa'uld fleet is springing their trap, they are spreading out to englobe us. We must change strategies."

A quick glance at the tactical situation told Louis they had to do more than just that. Their losses were already bordering on the catastrophic. A full fifth of their fleet was either heavily damaged or outright sunk. They couldn't sustain this fight any longer, especially not if they were about to be fully surrounded.

"We'll retreat." Louis said with a grimace. "I'll relay the order immediately."

The Asgard looked frustrated as he cut the comms link. Like him Tyr had fought in almost every attempt to take down Anubis' dreadnought so far, and probably was furious that they would now be forced to abandon yet another attempt. But Louis had no choice. He had a duty to his men not to sacrifice them needlessly. And fighting a hopeless battle was the epitome of such an act.

_Retreat! _Louis ordered. _Escape before the Goa'uld englobe us and head to the rendezvous points. I repeat! Retreat!_

* * *

On the world that was the apparent target of Anubis' offensive, Saya and Diva sat in a viewing gallery overlooking the iconic U.N. General Assembly Hall waiting for the French President to speak in an emergency session of the Assembly.

_I wonder if the way our kind are so pivotal in the affairs of the Coalition is some kind of karmic atonement for our ancestors' actions during the Extinction War? _Saya mused as the formalities preceding the French President's address went on in the room below them.

_What brought this on? _Diva asked curiously, turning to her and causing a base part of Saya's brain to note how ravishing her twin looked in her baby blue halter ruched mini dress.

_Well, aren't we the ones who are rallying the Coalition to defend Earth? _Saya asked, dismissing her lustful thoughts. _Furthermore, didn't we set this up too? _

_Huh? Maybe you're right. _Diva agreed, before a teasing grin spread across her lovely face. _By the way, thanks for the compliment sister. Your cheongsam looks great on you too. I can't wait to get you out of it._

_Later. _Saya sent back, blushing slightly.

_That's a promise. _Diva sing songed, sounding mightily pleased with herself. Not that Saya knew why. There had _never _been any question that they would be making love tonight in the first place.

_Oh, Saya, mind telling me how you managed to get the French President to do this? _

_Switching gears already sister, you're so mercurial today. _Saya sent back teasingly.

_Just answer my question! _Diva replied with a pout.

Smiling, Saya obliged. _It wasn't hard. I just asked. Honestly, I think it went so well because all I was asking was something that he himself already wanted to do._

_Makes sense. _Diva agreed with a nod. _Oh, he's starting._

True to her word, in the room below the French President was stepping up to the rostrum to make his speech. As he did, he garnered the full attention of both Swarm Queens as with the many delegates in the room below, as well as millions on Earth and untold billions more throughout the galaxy watching through various means of mass communication.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today I speak to you not as a world leader," the smartly dressed man said addressing the whole General Assembly and all those watching. "But as a humble fellow inhabitant of Earth. As such, there will be no elaborate speech today. There is simply no time for that. So I will be blunt. Alien life is real."

At this a Chiropteran Warrior and Thor beamed down to stand on either side of the President. The light of the transport had barely faded when the Assembly exploded into uproar as most of the delegates and some of their security details panicked, but this was silenced when the Warrior unleashed a terror inducing roar.

_Good job lacing a calming effect into the Warrior's cry._

_Thank Nimue, she was the one who taught me how to do that._

_As Nimue would say: 'You're too modest, Saya.'_

The red Queen just blushed slightly at both the teasing and praise.

_Shush you. He's speaking again._

"Thank you, my friend." The French President said with a nod to the hulking soldier as the Assembly finally regained a semblance of order. "As I was saying, alien life as you can see is real. And my country along with several others have known this for years. We have been fighting to keep Earth safe for years. I know this sparks many questions for those of you who did not know till now and I assure you that answers will be forthcoming. But now is not the time."

Uneasy whispers circled throughout the hall, but everyone was too captivated by the sight of two real life aliens to raise their voice. Well, that and the lingering effect of Saya's calming spell.

"What do I mean, my fellow Earthlings? It is simple. While my, no our, friends represented here today, the Asgard people and the Chiropteran Swarm, and our many friends in the alliance that we're a part, the Coalition of Free Peoples, have chosen to accept us as equals not everyone among the stars are peaceful."

This was met with another round of murmurings, but this was quieted when the President cleared his throat and continued.

"Even as we speak, one of our enemies, the Goa'uld Empire led by the creature masquerading as the ancient Egyptian god Anubis, is on his way to Earth with a massive fleet with the aim to conquer and enslave us!"

This caused yet another uproar but Thor strode forward and in a mechanically enhanced voice spoke loudly enough to silence everyone.

"There is no need need to fear, my friends." The Supreme Commander of the Asgard said with all the confidence that his centuries of command imbued in him. "You will not face this threat alone. The Coalition _will _stand with Earth."

"Thank you, Supreme Commander." The French President said with a nod to Thor who took a step back to allow the man to regain the floor. "As Supreme Commander Thor has said, we will not be alone in this fight. However, Earth cannot simply stand idly by as our allies fight for us. This is our world! Our freedom! Our very lives that is at stake! Thus we too must fight! And in order to do so, we must put outside our differences, if only temporarily, and stand as one against the Goa'uld! Who stands with me?"

At his call to arms, the delegations from France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Secular Republic of Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Japan, India, Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Australia, all members of the nations that were either a part of the Stargate Programme or secretly allied with the Chiropteran Swarm, immediately stood and give a round of applause. They were followed in dribs and drabs by other delegations, some more enthusiastically than others.

Saya felt an immense burst of pride at seeing the divided nations of Earth, her homeworld, setting aside their differences in the face of a common threat.

_Not all of them. _Diva countered, pointing towards the handful of delegations from the world's authoritarian nations who continued to remain seated.

_We can do without them. _Saya sent back, not hiding at all her disdain for those particular nations. _We wouldn't want such disagreeable nations as allies anyway not when they don't truly add anything worthwhile._

_I suppose. _Diva returned with a shrug. _It's not like I care either way._

Saya nodded absently, returning her attention to the sea of diplomats standing below in the U.N. General Assembly. By now only a handful of delegations remained stubbornly seated. She took note of who they were, so they could covertly observe them and nip any potential problems they might cause in the bud, but otherwise ignored them. They'd accomplished what they had come here to do: rally the nations of Earth to the homeworld's defense.

_Anubis, you have no idea what hornet's nest you've kicked over. _Saya thought as she looked on with pride at the scene. _But I, no, we will be happy to show you._

* * *

**Done!**

**This might be a slightly controversial chapter for a number of things. So let me address my reasoning for having things play out as they did.**

**Firstly, because of the fact that I had some of Earth's nations **_**refusing **_**to aid in the planet's defense. I meant no offense by this, I'm simply playing things out as how I foresee such an event happening. There'll always be some nation or other that will just refuse to believe this is anything more than a trick by their rivals/enemies until it's too late. **

**Secondly, I had some countries being left out in the cold. Why? Because not all off-world allies are as objective as the Asgard. In canon, Thor explicitly states they'll help Earth without caring who ran the Stargate Programme/Earth's off-world operations. But the Asgard favor non-interference. In contrast, neither the Chiropterans or Nimue or Jade i.e. Earth's other major allies are not quite as nice nor do they have compunctions against intervention. The Chiropterans due to their origins are absurdly pro-French, or at least Saya is. They are also very pro-democracy due to the fundamentally democratic nature of their society. Nimue and Jade both see themselves as benevolent dictators and frown upon the authoritarian regimes on Earth for having no noblesse oblige, hypocritically so since they aren't always exemplars of the ideal either. Furthermore, Nimue still has enough love for the country of her birth to be somewhat pro-British. And **_**everyone**_**, even the Asgard in Canon and definitely in this verse, are pro-SGC due to all the good it's accomplished in the galaxy. This doesn't necessarily make them pro-America, but in most cases it does.**

**Thirdly, why is Egypt a secular republic in this verse? Well, where is the treasure trove for leftovers of the Goa'uld occupation of Earth? Egypt, of course. Taking that into account, the Chiropterans and even Nimue (yes, she has agents on Earth) have covertly been manipulating its history through the ages to ensure its friendly towards them, so as to allow them to better police such artifacts. Considering their preferences in regards to Earth politics as explained earlier, it just makes the most sense that they steered it towards secularism. Now, some of you might scoff at the idea that covert manipulation is enough to accomplish this. If you think as such, please consider they've had **_**millennia **_**to influence events in Nimue's case, have **_**immense **_**resources at their disposal derived from being interstellar powers, and are not above killing sometimes in large numbers to achieve their aims.**

**That I think should satisfy any foreseeable questions/criticisms raised in this chapter. If you any more though, feel free to PM me or drop a review.**

**Till next time, peace out!**


	36. The Battle of Earth

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 27: The Battle of Earth**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Lieutenant General George S. Hammond, USAF stood on the bridge of _USS Daedalus _as it held position over Earth and looked out an observation window as a large Albion fleet folded in to join the mustering fleet the Coalition had called together to defend the planet.

"How many ships does that make it?" He asked Colonel Steven Caldwell, the _Daedalus' _CO.

"You want the exact count?"

"Might as well," George said with a nod. "I'll need to report it to the Joint Chiefs in a bit."

Caldwell nodded and worked the controls of his command chair before pulling up what looked like a sensor feed.

"The Asgard brought in a few extra _Bilskirnir_s yesterday. There's 178 of those now, plus the 60 _O'Neill_s. The Chiropterans have 1100 _Bonaparte_s and 4000 _Résurrection_s. The Ohne sent 1723 of their destroyers, while the Reetou contributed 5217 frigates. Can't tell you the breakdown of the individual contributions of the individual Goa'uld successor states-"

"That's fine, just give me the total."

"Altogether the JFN, Tok'ra, Jade and Albion sent 2 Mel'tak, 3787 Ha'tak, 6612 Shel'tak, and 9124 Al'kesh."

"Compared to all that our only fleet seems like a drop in the bucket." George noted with a wry smile. It wasn't an exaggeration. While Earth's 5 _Prometheus _destroyers and 3 _Daedalus _battlecruisers were an amazing achievement for a people who had just started building starships at all, their 8 ships were lost in the thousands of allied warships that now orbited Earth.

"I know what you mean, sir." Caldwell said with a shake of his head. "I would've never thought so many people would be willing to come to our defense."

"I'm not," George admitted. "Humbled, yes, but not surprised. We've made a lot of friends since we first opened the Stargate."

* * *

Even as Earth prepared its defenses, Anubis readied his forces for the attack.

Standing in front of a large viewing window he had insisted to be built into the Pel'tak of his dreadnought, he watched as his fleet completed repairs after the latest skirmish with the Coalition and made other final preparations for the last jump to Earth. It was an impressive fleet that he took pride in having been able to bring to bear. It had required him to 'borrow' ships from the other System Lords, significantly weakening their fleets in the process, and strip his own garrisons, but it was worth it. With over 5000 Ha'tak, almost 8000 Shel'tak, roughly 10000 Al'kesh, and of course his invincible dreadnought, there was no force in the galaxy which could oppose him.

_If only I could have used it to seize the Dakara Superweapon. _Anubis thought as he growled in annoyance at the failed opportunity. By the time he'd amassed the strength to claim it, the Asgard had already removed it and shipped it back to their home galaxy. A lost that had set his plans back a great deal.

_At least everything else was coming together nicely._ The Ascended Goa'uld mused.

His Kull warriors were perfected at last and were proving as effective as he'd hoped. And with them disrupting the foolish Coalition's leadership through targeted assassinations, the path was made easier for him as he made his move on the true prize: the Earth and its wealth of leftover Alteran artifacts form its time as their capital.

The System Lord's musings were interrupted by the polite clearing of a throat behind him, and Anubis turned around to see his First Prime Her'ak standing behind him ready to deliver a report.

"My lord," the Jaffa said upon receiving permission to speak. "The fleet is ready to transit to hyperspace."

"Then do so," Anubis said as he walked towards his throne at the rear of the bridge. "It is time to crush the Tau'ri and seize the Earth's riches."

"Your will be done, my lord." The blonde sycophant said as he rushed to carry out his orders.

_Soon. Very soon, I will be the undisputed ruler of this galaxy. _

* * *

In Earth orbit, aboard the Mel'tak the _Pride of Albion_, the daughter of Nimue, First Fleet Lord of the Albion Stellar Empire, and commander of the Albion contingent of the Earth Defense Task Force, Eldarose sank back into the tub of warm water in her chambers.

It had been a long day of tension, waiting for the anvil to drop and Anubis to finally strike. The daughter of Nimue was thus very much enjoying the chance to relax a little.

"This is the life." Rose, her human side, said with a pleased sigh as they leaned back and just enjoyed the way the water relaxed their muscles.

_I agree completely. _Eldina, her Goa'uld half, agreed with a happy sigh of her own.

Even as her component personalities relaxed, Eldarose couldn't help but keep worrying.

_I really wish mother wasn't so stubborn and agreed to come. Without her and her powers as an Ascended Being we're at a disadvantage against Anubis._

_You worry too much, _Rose countered. _We still have Saya and Diva._

_Yes, but having mother here would make me feel better._

_Like I said, you worry too much. _Rose repeated. _Besides it's not like mother doesn't have good reason to not want to come back to Earth._

_Rose is correct, _Eldina chimed in. _Even if the risk of a temporal paradox has likely passed by now. Her experiences with the Wizarding World has hardly served to endear it to her. Her reluctance to deal with it is understandable._

_Understandable, yes, but frustrating nonetheless._

_Oh stop being a worrywart, Eldarose! Just take this soak as a chance to relax. You can worry all you want when you're back on shift._

_I guess you're right. _The gestalt personality conceded as she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the bath.

She was not able to do so for long. Just as she was feeling her tension fully ebb from her, an alarm suddenly went off and the voice of her XO rang across the ship's' intercom.

"Enemy detected transiting into the system. All hands to battlestations. I repeat all hands to battlestations."

_Anubis has terrible timing. _Rose complained even as Eldarose shot out of the tub and using her magic to aid her, hastily dried off and got dressed.

A short run through the ship's corridors and a ring transport later, Eldarose was power walking over to her command throne on the Pel'tak.

"Report!" She barked as she took her seat and quickly glanced at the tactical display dominating the primary viewscreen.

"All allied forces are in defensive formations just like we drilled." The younger woman that was her XO reported dutifully. "The enemy is still forming up while maintaining distance outside our range."

"Anubis' flagship?"

"At the heart of his armada and charging its main weapon."

"Of course it is." Eldarose said with a nod. "Are the Tau'ri ready for the opening move?"

"The _Daedalus_ reports a go. They should materialize any minute now."

Eldarose allowed herself a smirk. _Time to even the odds._

* * *

Just as Eldarose and the majority of Earth's defenders mentally prepared themselves for the storm ahead. Another lucky few of their cohorts drew first blood. Leading this brave vanguard was the newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, who dropped his F302 out of hyperspace _inside_ the shields of Anubis' dreadnought in a feat of precision made possible only with the development of the first fighter-scaled hyperdrives in the galaxy. Hyperdrives that thanks to the collective effort of the allies' tuning and engineering could function as a short range wormhole drive, allowing it to bypass the hyperspace interdictors that Anubis employed this one time. They had no illusions it would work again. Their enemies would easily recalibrate their interdictors after all. But one chance was all they needed.

_Time for some payback, you son of a bitch. _Cam thought as he flew his fighter down low even as the ship's startled point defense crews finally started throwing up some flak.

"Adam, the rest of the flight?" Cam asked of his co-pilot.

"All accounted for." The Captain said. "They're requesting permission to go crazy."

"Tell them to fire at will! Take out that bloody weapon, it's an eyesore!" Cam shouted even as he loosed a pair of his new anti-ship 'Snake Eater' missiles directly at the large domed tower at the center of the Goa'uld dreadnought that was already surrounded by a building storm of orange lightning.

The weapon never got the chance to reach full charge though before two dozen naquadah enhanced fusion missiles slammed into its base and exploded with the fury of short-lived but powerful micro suns. These were promptly followed by a series of secondary explosions that tore the weapon apart, causing the building energy storm to be unleashed prematurely and lash out at the very vessel that had created it. The orange lightning tore massive gashes into the dreadnought's hull, shattered its shields and rendered it dead in the space.

Cam would have cheered the victory, but he was a little too busy evading the orange bolts himself, along with a pesky pack of various Goa'uld fighters that the snakes had thrown up to pursue him.

"Banks, how long?" The pilot shouted as he evaded a burst from a Needle Threader with some fancy flying.

"Fifteen seconds!"

"We might not have fifteen seconds!" Cam shouted glancing down at his tactical screen which showed they had no less than two dozen bogeys on their tail.

Suddenly a "Fly Swatter" anti-fighter missile flew pass his cockpit and right into the middle of their pack of pursuers, the in built micro munitions scattering and taking out a half dozen of the bogeys and sending the others running. Looking up Cam saw as another F302 flew by, tipping its wing in greeting as it did.

"Hey Shaft, mind returning the favor?" The other pilot asked over the comms.

"Gladly Bronco." Cam said shooting one of his own anti-fighter missiles into the crowd of scattering Goa'uld fighters that had been tailing the other pilot but now found themselves right in his sights. He didn't rack up as many kill as Bronco owing to not having the same element of surprise, but he still scored a respectable trio of kills so he was satisfied.

"Drive is charged." Banks shouted just as Cam finished tallying his kills.

"Then jump us out of here."

"Roger that!"

* * *

Saya and Diva were on the bridge of the _Bonaparte _and watched with satisfaction as they saw Anubis' mighty flagship finally get its comeuppance and be taken out by a brilliant surprise attack by the Tau'ri.

_It's time sister. _Saya sent to Diva as she drew her rapier from the scabbard at her waist. _Time to cut off the head of the snake._

_Time to kill Anubis. _Diva agreed, drawing her own sword.

The twins exchanged one last nod, before with a thought they stepped through the Ascended Plane and onto the Pel'tak of Anubis' disabled flagship.

As they entered the material plane once more, they bore witness to an Ascended Being in brown robes they both recognized as Dr. Daniel Jackson attempt to attack Anubis only to be stopped by the Others and pulled back to the Ascended Plane.

"More visitors?" Anubis asked mockingly as he turned to face the two Swarm Queens. "Here to try and kill me as well, Chiropterans?"

"We won't just try." Saya began.

"We _will _kill you." Diva finished, as they both charged towards the Goa'uld in a blur and ran him through with their swords.

"What!?" Anubis roared as they slammed into a wall and straight into the white void of the local Ascended Plane.

"You thought the Others would protect you from us?" Saya asked as she and Diva slashed their swords in opposing directions, effectively cutting Anubis in half between them.

"You should have learned from fighting Nimue, the Others' rules don't apply to either her or us." Diva told him over his agonized scream.

The Jackal was not so easily defeated however and his body exploded in a nova of dark energy that the Swarm Queens barely evaded by blurring away in the nick of time.

"**If that's the case,**" Anubis snarled in the booming voice of the Goa'uld and dripping with malice. "**Then I'll deal with you two myself!**"

* * *

Onboard her flagship, the _Phoenix_, Reshi cursed as despite the loss of Anubis' flagship, his forces nevertheless pressed the attack. The Coalition met them head on but their lines were buckling under the weight of the assault of his numerically superior fleet.

It's edge was small, but telling. Especially when it possessed a technological advantage, if only a slight one, against a large chunk of their fleet. While the Asgard, Chiropteran, Albion and Tau'ri contingents were all technologically more advanced, the ships from Jade, Jaffa and the other minor races were just woefully outmatched.

Nevertheless, Reshi knew her duty and would fight to the bitter end.

"My lady, Sector B is requesting reinforcements! The Goa'uld have almost broken through!" Her comms officer informed her, sounding harried. Unsurprising, considering the frantic pace of the battle.

Reshi glanced quickly at the tactical screen, studiously ignoring the growing list of names for lost ships. She still inadvertently caught a glimpse and the sight caused her to wince. She'd known it already, but to see it again… It sent a chill down her spine just thinking of all those who had already died.

"We can't spare anything. We're hard pressed as is. Tell them they're own their own."

"Roger, my lady." the comms officer replied unhappily as she relayed Reshi's message.

* * *

Char flew her Vengeance through the thick of the action in the hard pressed Sector B doing her best to stem the seemingly relentless advance.

She'd started out escorted by a squad of her own countrymen in Riflemans as well as a squad of Tierens from Jade, but both of those had either been downed or gotten separated in the increasingly chaotic melee over Earth's orbit. As she surged forward to engage what looked like a supersized Tel'tak, she found herself adding a trio of Chiropteran fighters into her ragtag entourage

"I don't know what those are," Char said over the comms to her impromptu wingmen even as she blazed away with her plasma weapons and tore apart a formation of Needle Threaders attempting to intercept them. "But if it's headed for the surface then it isn't good and we've gotta stop it!"

She was met with a chorus of agreement from the various pilots in her group as they shot pass the wreckage of the Needle Threaders, taking pot shots at the survivors as they fled.

"Prime! Incoming enemy MS." One of the Rifleman on the edge of her group shouted in warning. "And a big unknown bogey."

"Leave the unknown to me." Char replied, as she vectored to engage the new threat. "Take out the knockoffs."

As she closed, she got a good look at this new enemy and couldn't help but frown. Imitation was supposed to the highest form of flattery, at least her goddess had said so, but this thing in her sights hardly seemed to live up to adage. The unknown turned out to be the Goa'uld's version of a Mobile Armor. It was a machine with the upper humanoid body of the Goa'uld's MS with its arm mounted weapons removed and replaced by a pair of vibroblades. This torso was then strapped onto a combination of an engine block and a scaled up Staff Cannon.

As Char closed, the thing's oversized main gun fired but at her deft hands her Vengeance easily danced around the shot. Going in with all her guns blazing, she was annoyed to discover that the damned thing had a shield. A relatively decent one too.

_Damn! I really didn't want to waste them on anything that wasn't a ship. _Char cursed as she shot pass the machine which was sluggishly trying to turn in an attempt to track her and line up another shot with its main gun. In contrast to its sluggishness, the Albionian ace spun her machine around on a dime throwing the enemy's aim off even as she fired a salvo of her antimatter missiles.

The Goa'uld MA revealed a pair of plasma repeaters built into turrets on its shoulders which tried to intercept the nimble missiles but this proved fruitless considering the short distance they had to work with, and the majority of the projectiles crashed into its shield, shattering them.

The moment they were down, Char's Vengeance slipped directly in front of the enemy machine. The thing tried to swing its vibroblades at her, but the ace just drifted back out of its reach while unloading a full barrage of her plasma arsenal and dealing it a mortal blow.

Flitting away, Char smirked in satisfaction as the enemy MA exploded in a fireball.

"Everyone okay?" Char asked over her group's comms band and was pleased to hear an affirmative from everyone, as they began forming back up around her as she closed with the supersized Tel'taks once more.

"Okay, then let's have another go at these things!"

"Prime," a Jade pilot said. "Some of them have already made it into the atmosphere. Should we head planetside to assist instead?"

"Don't worry about the surface. We need to stop anymore of these things from getting through." Char ordered as she closed within firing range and launched a salvo of her missiles. "So let's get to work."

A torrent of affirmatives flooded her comms even as everyone opened fire on the ship whose shield she'd just dropped and reduced it to scrap through the sheer weight of their fire.

* * *

On the surface far below, the usually picturesque scenery of Southern France had been transformed into a battlefield as Anubis' Jaffa assaulted the Chiropteran Hive at the Zoo. Unfortunately for them, they had the misfortune to run into no less than the first Chevalier.

And Haji was _not happy _at having to deal with trespassers.

Standing atop a Goa'uld Mobile Suit in his combat form, he sank his claws deep into the chest of the humanoid machine and in a feat of incredible strength ripped open the cockpit. The terrified pilot within had enough sense to reach for a sidearm but Haji was too fast for him. Before his fingers had even touched his Zat'nik'tel, the Chevalier had grabbed hold of him and tossed him out of his machine. Curiously, Haji turned to watch the pilot land in a bloody splat.

Satisfied that the Jaffa was dead, he searched the battlefield for a a new target of his ire. Much to his frustration, he found that the attack on the Zoo had already been largely repulsed. There were still pockets of fighting, but they were contained and well on their way to being dealt with.

Thankfully for his still burning bloodlust, there were plenty more enemy Jaffa landing elsewhere.

_All Warriors not engaged in combat or part of the regular Hive Guard to me! _He ordered over the local node in the Hivemind. _It's time to relieve Paris._

* * *

Dominique Barthélemy was an average police officer of the Préfecture de police de Paris (Paris Police Prefecture) and just an hour ago had been on his daily patrol when all hell had suddenly broken loose.

One minute, it was the same old daily grind and the next the sky was full of unfamiliar shapes that could only be spaceships!

Before that moment, Dom hadn't believed everything the President had said about aliens and an invasion. Not even when the aliens had shown up at the U.N. He'd honestly thought those were nothing more than puppets or robots or something, anything other than genuine aliens.

Oh, how he wished he'd been correct!

Then maybe he wouldn't find himself hiding behind a burning car shooting his service pistol at a very human looking alien in medieval armor shooting energy bolts at him from some kind of long staff.

"Die, you bastards!" Dom shouted as he emptied another clip into the bastard only for his bullets to bounce harmlessly off one of the assholes' bloody energy shield.

Now normally Dom wasn't a person to swear, but seeing your country invaded out of the blue and the invaders killing people indiscriminately as soon as they got off their landing ships pissed him off. Not to mention the things he suspected they were doing to some of the women they were dragging off. Their screams as they were subjected to the invaders' non-existent mercy would haunt his nightmares.

Of course, the piece of shit he was shooting at wasn't happy to oblige his oh so nice request. Heck, he even had the audacity to return fire!

Ducking back under the increasing battered car, Dom reloaded and was dismayed to find that he only had enough bullets for one more clip.

"Fuck it," the policeman cursed. "Well, I guess today's a good day to die."

Taking a deep breath to steady his shaking hands, Dominique Barthélemy popped back out of cover and opened fire. Dozens of poorly aimed bolts flew his way and went completely wide, but even though he was hitting his targets he was doing next to no good. Oh, he took out an idiot who had decided to not wear a helmet and didn't have a fancy shield but that was only a drop in a bucket. There were dozens more of his friends just on this street and he was the only guy fighting back against them. His fellow Earthlings being cowards were either cowering or running away.

At least he was.

With the sound of a roaring rocket, something streaked overhead and everyone in the street, both Earthling and alien, turned to see a flaming projectile fly by and slam into the ground just behind the alien lines with an earthquake inducing crash. One that was repeated throughout the city if the literal flaming rain in the skies above were anything to go by.

On Dom's street though, everyone was too preoccupied with staring in shock at what was clearly some kind of pod that sat in its own little crater up the street to even look up.

This shock only lasted a minute before a series of hatches on the pod popped open and a pack of what Dom's exhausted brain helpfully told him were Chiropteran Warriors surged out. The invaders seemed panicked at the sight of these new aliens and forgetting Dom and everyone else, turned their weapons at the new arrivals.

It didn't do them any good.

The Chiropterans tore into them like beasts out of hell itself, the turret mounted guns on their shoulders barking nonstop at the shielded invaders battering the damned things down before neatly burning holes through their bodies. Those were the lucky ones. The unshielded invaders had it much, much worse as the Warriors proceeded to tear them apart by hand.

Within minutes, Dom's hopeless last stand had turned into a crushing defeat for the invaders instead as yet another Chiropteran drop pod crashed nearby and disgorged another pack of Warriors eager for the blood of the enemy. Even as more and more poured out of the original pod in bursts of light, it clearly serving as some kind of teleporter station.

Seeing the carnage, Dom could only laugh. "You had it coming, you pieces of shit!"

An explosion in the distance caught his attention and Dom turned to see one of the invader's ships crash into the Seine as a flaming wreck. Looking up he laughed even harder as its killer descended from the clouds like an avenging angel, the Chiropteran battleship blasting away at every invader ship in sight with volley after volley and leaving naught but burning husks to fall from the sky.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" A cultured voice said from nearby and Dom spun around to see a Chiropteran Vizier looking up at the same scene he was moments ago.

"Yeah," Dom said simply, unable to muster more than that.

"Well, enough sightseeing I think." The Chiropteran said as he pulled a pair of strange organic looking pistols from holsters it had strapped to its chest and presented one to Dom.

"It should feel pretty similar to your service pistol," the creature said. "Feel up to killing a few more invaders, officer?"

Dom practically snatched the weapon from the Vizier. "You're on. Let's go, friend."

"The name's Michel, and yours?" The Chiropteran said with what Dom imagined was a smile.

"Call me Dom," the policeman said with a smile of his own as he adjusted his grip around his new weapon, which true to Michel's word felt a lot like his service pistol. "But enough talking, let's go kick some invader butt."

"After you, my friend."

* * *

Even as the defenders in France rallied, the battle in orbit continued unabated. And playing her part in the chaotic struggle, Ruilan rematerialized on the hangar deck of an enemy Ha'tak with her Heavy Staff Cannon raised and her finger on the trigger.

As luck would have it, she'd blinked back into existence right in front of a Goa'uld MS with its pilot sliding into his cockpit courtesy of a portkey graciously provided by the Lady's Magi. Without hesitation she pulled the trigger and blasted the man to bits along with the various systems of his machine's cockpit.

"2nd Londinium Blinkers, report!" Ruilan demanded over her comms as she spun to the next enemy machine and following her previous example blasted the open cockpit into scrap. A handful of the enemy Jaffa around her tried to fight back but were quickly mowed down by the rest of her command squad.

She barely noticed, as she tallied her losses from the risky blink onto a moving ship by the reports of her squad leaders. It wasn't pretty. She'd lost no less than a third of her men just from the blink alone.

_No time to cry over spilled milk. _

"All squads spread out. None of you are rookies so you know what to do. Kill any enemy you find and sabotage the hell out of every piece of equipment you see on this junkpile, got it?"

"Yes, mam!" Her soldiers roared and Ruilan allowed herself a smile even as she blasted a group of enemy Jaffa trying to set up a Rotary Staff Cannon to bits.

She knew she should pity them. They were fellow Jaffa who were enslaved by a false god, but Ruilan couldn't quite muster enough sympathy for it. Not today. Today, all she wanted was to kill her enemies and go home.

_If these bastards wanted saving, then they should have joined the Free Jaffa. They'll get no quarter from me._

* * *

The Coalition weren't the only ways infiltrating the enemy's facilities however, as down in the depths of the infamous SGC Anubis launched an attack through the Stargate.

Leading its defense General Henry Landry, the SGC's new commanding officer, stood behind a sandbag barrier as he fired his P90 downrange at a squad of Jaffa and Kull that were holding the door to the Gateroom.

Now normally, as CO, he shouldn't be anywhere near the frontlines unless the situation was absolutely dire. But the SGC had always been different and while his predecessor might not have fought much, even in foothold situations, he had stepped up on more than one occasion. Thus Henry could do nothing less than follow Hammond's example.

"Grenade!" One of the marines of SG18 that he was currently fighting alongside shouted as he tossed a fragmentation grenade into the Jaffa position. It detonated with a bang but did little damage directly. It did cause a Kull to jump out of cover, presumably thinking it could surprise them when they expected it to have been stunned. It was pretty smart for a deliberately mentally handicapped bio engineered super soldier but unfortunately SG18 had expected it and someone, Henry didn't see who, took it out in one hit with a shot from a Kull disruptor.

To add insult to injury, this was exactly when a flurry of energy bursts suddenly flew at the surprised Jaffa from behind. Jumping up, Henry and SG18 added their weight of their fire to the chaos and in moments had finished off the Jaffa invaders.

"Thanks for the assist, guys." Henry told the pair of Reetou that materialized at the other end of the now cleared corridor.

"Glad to be of service, General." The larger of the two insectoids said through the aid of its translator and with a nod. "We came from the other side of the Gateroom. So we are happy to report that with this, the Gate is secure."

"Good," Henry said with a sigh of relief. "The team locked the iris?"

"They have, General. Manually this time, so there should be no repeat of earlier."

With the iris in place and stopping anyone from coming out of the Gate, Anubis would have no way of sending more troops into the base. If only they had managed to stop them from coming through in the first place. Unfortunately, they had underestimated the wily Goa'uld. He'd somehow temporarily seized control of their computers with some kind of virus and used them to open the iris.

"Right, then that means we only have a handful of stragglers to deal with then we're all clear." Henry thought out loud before turning to the commander of SG18. "Lieutenant Colonel Reeves, go take your men and join the mop up. I'll be heading to the Operations Room to make sure the Gate stays closed. Gentlemen, mind escorting me?"

"It would be our pleasure, General." The lead Reetou said as they both bowed.

"Then let's get going, we still have a battle to win."

* * *

Major Samantha Carter gasped in awe at the titanic battle in front of her eyes as their heavily modified Tel'tak exited hyperspace.

"Carter, how's it looking?" Colonel O'Neill asked from where he was working on modifying the ship's ring transporter. She probably should be helping him, but whatever he was doing was very much above her such was the benefit of the Ancient Activation Gene and a controlled download from one of their Repositories of Knowledge.

"I honestly can't tell sir," Sam reported back. "It's a mess out there."

"Sensors read that Coalition forces are hard pressed, O'Neill." Teal'c reported form where he was piloting the ship. "The enemy has made planetfall in France but have been met with fierce resistance by the locals and Chiropteran."

"Looks like we got here just in time then," Jack muttered in annoyance as he finished what he was doing and headed to the controls and leaning over Teal'c's back keyed in some coordinates. "There's where we need to go."

"Understood, O'Neill." Teal'c said in his usual taciturn manner. "O'Neill! Multiple enemy signatures are angling to intercept us."

"No surprise," Jack said with a grimace. "With the mess out there we wouldn't have gotten past unnoticed. Hail friendlies for some help."

"I don't think that's necessary, sir." Sam said pointing out the ship's window as the _Deadalus_ and the entire Earth fleet along with a sizable chunk of allied vessels could be seen rushing towards them.

"SG1," General Hammond's voice came over their comms. "Welcome home. Apologies that we can't offer you a warm reception."

"I'm think this is a little too warm for my tastes actually."

"Yes, I suppose it is." Hammond said with a smile in his voice. "Don't worry about the Goa'uld. Do what you need to. We've got your backs."

"Thanks sir," Jack replied with a seriousness he rarely showed. "We'll get the job done."

"I'm sure you will. Till then, godspeed SG1."

"Coalition vessels have intercepted incoming Goa'uld forces." Teal'c reported grimly even as the view around them began filling with nearby explosions.

"Gun it Teal'c." Jack ordered, his face set in a grim but determined mask.

Teal'c said nothing but the sudden burst of acceleration that had Sam stumbling told her she'd heard him alright.

_We'll win this. _Carter thought as they turned to the Zero Point Module (ZPM) that they'd recovered. _Thor called us the children of the Ancients and he's right. We're not about to let our ancestors down and be trampled by a bunch of megalomaniac parasites. The Goa'uld are going to be defeated today, I'm sure of it!_

* * *

Herion stood in the troop compartment of the Ha'tak _Lady's Benevolence_ watching through a viewscreen as it descended through the Earth's atmosphere over its Southern pole and right into a raging battle between allied forces and a fraction of the Goa'uld's invasion fleet.

_Considering the size of the forces here, whatever SG1 has discovered down there should be important. Though if their legend is anything to go by, it's sure to be nothing less than what decides this battle._

Pushing these thoughts aside, he turned to his men and began briefing them one last time.

"Alright, everyone listen up! In a few seconds, we'll begin blinking down into what reports claim is an Ancient outpost buried under all that ice. There's supposedly some kind of superweapon left there that SG1, yes that SG1, is working on activating. Of course, this means the Goa'uld are going to do everything they can to stop them. Are we going to let them?"

"No!" The hundred Stormtroopers of the elite 1st Hogwarts Blinkers roared in unison.

"Then let's go kill us some snakes!" Herion roared. "Squad leaders blink your men down by the numbers. Go, go, go!"

Herion watched as squad by squad his men used their portkeys to teleport down to the coordinates SG1 provided. He waited until he was all gone before he followed suit.

As luck would have it, he rematerialized right next to the legends themselves.

"Thank you for coming, brother." Master Teal'c said with a brief bow without once letting down his watchful guard over his teammates, the Starkiller Samantha Carter and the Godslayer Jack O'Neill, as they worked to install some Ancient device that looked like a cluster of multicolored crystals into the dais upon which a single chair stood.

"It is my honor to be of assistance to your team, Master." Herion said as he took up a guard alongside the revered Father of the Free Jaffa. "My men will give our lives to ensure the success of your mission."

"Let's hope that's not necessary." The Master said in the reserved way he was famous for.

"Kull!" One of Herion's men shouted from further down one of the many branching halls that led into the chamber he found himself.

"Do your men have Kull disruptors?" The O'Neill said as he looked up from where the crystal they were working on slowly lowered itself into the dais.

"No, but we have enough firepower to put those Orak down easily enough."

"Carter-"

"Already working on it," the Starkiller said from a console to the side of the dais. In a flash of light, a dozen or so strange looking pistols materialized on a podium to her left. "Thank goodness this place has a matter recombinator _and_ can interface with our Repository remotely."

"What can't Ancient tech do?" The O'Neill snorted as he passed one of the pistols to Herion. "Go pass them out to your men. One shot from these will put a Kull down."

Herion glanced at the lack of other guards around, but the O'Neill just smirked and pushed the pistol and a bag filled with them that the Starkiller manufactured into his hands.

"Go," the legend insisted. "We've got it covered here. Go help your men."

Herion hesitantly nodded and shouldering his Staff Rifle, he took the Kull disruptor and the bag from O'Neill and moved to go pass the weapons out to his men. As he left, he chanced one last look back at the legends and saw O'Neill taking a seat on what must have been a command chair.

Herion didn't know why, but the sight filled with awe. It like he was seeing a momentous moment in history.

* * *

In the Antarctic skies above the Ancient outpost where SG1 was working its miracle, Loutal commanded the Albion forces that had been drawn into this particular portion of the battle from his flagship, the _Fighting Peony_.

"Are the enemy still coming?" Loutal asked his XO in shock. "This is the fifth wave! Surely they must be depleting their forces in orbit to keep pressing their attack here."

"They are," the young woman confirmed. "But I don't think they care. If intercepted communications are anything to go by, they know SG1 is here and that's driven them into a frenzy."

Loutal wanted to curse his luck. He was standing between the glory obsessed enemy and what might be the greatest prizes they could reap on this entire battlefield.

"I guess the silver lining is that we're helping our friends in orbit by drawing the enemy down here."

His XO nodded.

"Shield strength?" Loutal shouted at his engineering officer.

"78%"

"Good enough, cycle us back to the front of the formation."

"Yes, my lord."

"My lord!" The sensors officer shouted in alarm. "Massive energy buildup from below us!"

"Below us?" Loutal blinked in confusion. "On screen."

The tactical display that had previously taken up the majority of the primary viewscreen was minimized into the corner and was replaced by a real time view of the hole SG1 had dug into the polar ice cap with their Tel'tak. A hole from which spewed forth a river of glowing yellow, squid like things.

"What are those?" The Fleet Lord demanded, even as the first of the glowing objects slammed into a enemy Ha'tak, shattering its shield from the impact alone before burrowing right through its hull and seemingly detonating in a massive explosion that tore the ship apart along with it.

"Drones, sir," his engineering officer said sounding awed. "Millions of killer drones."

Loutal could only nod, as he watched flabbergasted by the drones swarming out of the hole into the ice and up into orbit above where they hunted down and destroyed every single one of the enemy vessels. From the lowliest Death Glider to the mightiest Ha'tak, none of the Goa'uld's ships were spared the destructive power of the drones.

_So _this _is the power of the Ancients and SG1. _

* * *

While the battle raged in normal space, in the Ascended Plane the leaders of the fight were engaged in a more personal life and death contest of their own.

Blurring around the featureless white void in red and blue streaks respectively, Saya and Diva, were doing their best to kill Anubis. Unfortunately, the Ascended Goa'uld was proving a tough opponent. Hunkering down behind a fortress of shadowy shields he kept shooting shadow bolts and beams of dark energy at them.

"**Nimue was a better fighter than this,**" Anubis taunted. "**You disappoint me, Chiropterans.**"

"What did you expect?" Diva shot back as she slammed into his shields shattering dozens of them before being forced away by a energy beam. "Nimue is thousands of years older than us."

"She's got more practice." Saya added as she came in from a different angle and shattered through another dozen of Anubis' shields with a thrust of her sword, but was ultimately forced away by a barrage of shadow bolts. "But we'll kill you all the same."

"**You can try, you fools. You can try.**"

The two Queens suddenly streaked away from him entirely and began entwining with each other.

"**What do you intend to do? Combine?**" Anubis said with a mocking laugh.

The Swarm Queens ignored him and allowed their energies to mingle together before they literally teleported right into Anubis' shields, both their rapiers pointed straight at him in a powerful thrust. His shields shattered at the impact and he was thrown back.

Anubis however was prepared, and even as he was sent flying he gathered together his power to fire a deadly beam of energy at the Queens at point blank range but suddenly paused as events on the mortal plane caught his attention.

"**My fleet!? What just happened to my fleet?**"

Exploiting his distraction, the two Queens broke away from each other and blurred into Anubis from either side their rapiers stabbing deep into the Ascended Goa'uld's body. The System Lord screamed as his very essence begin spilling into the empty void.

"**No!**" Anubis shouted defiantly as he tried to push the two Queens away with a dark nova but only managed a weak wave that they weathered with a grimace.

"We've got your true form this time Anubis, not just your avatar." Saya informed him coldly as she sawed her way out his back.

"You're not getting out of this one alive." Diva added as she ripped her sword in the opposite direction of her sister, bisecting the Goa'uld in the process.

"I-I should be i-immortal." The dying Ascended Goa'uld wheezed out.

"Nothing is truly immortal in the known universe, Anubis." Diva scoffed, raising one foot over his head.

"Now embrace your end." Saya added raising a foot of her own.

"Die!" Both Swarm Queens said in unison as they stomped their feet down together.

And thus it was with a splat that the life of the Ascended Goa'uld System Lord Anubis ended.

* * *

Weeks after the Battle of Earth, as people were already calling it, things had finally settled down enough for himself and his friends that Jack O'Neill was able to hold a gathering at his cabin to celebrate the victory.

They'd all shared a sumptuous dinner, which included some delicacies from Albion that a certain starstruck Jaffa had sent his team, and now everyone was socializing in the cabin. Thanking a break from all that for a moment, he took a beer and headed over to his dock to reflect on things.

Maybe because of the alien invasion, but Disclosure had actually gone extremely well. There had been some chaos, but in the end the people of the world _had _rallied to its defense. It was even looking like this new sense of unity would stick. He didn't know all the details, even if he really should, but there had been some frantic diplomacy after the battle to set up a fair, unified planetary defense force.

There were some countries out in the cold and who were making claims of a new age of Western Imperialism, but with all of their major off world allies like the Swarm and Albion refusing to do _any _business with what they called "bad actors" these guys had no one to blame but themselves.

They couldn't exactly blame their allies. Not when acceptance of them were through the roof right now. Especially the Chiropterans, who were the most visible in the ground battle.

_Things are shaping up to be pretty good here on Earth and its not looking too bad for the rest of the galaxy either._

With Anubis' defeat and more importantly the loss of the bulk of the remaining System Lords' fleets that he brought to Earth with him, their power base had almost completely collapsed. As a result, the Free Jaffa, Albion and the Jade Empire were systemically claiming their territories. Though the Goa'uld were rapidly reorganizing around Ba'al and might just hold out, they would likely never be anything more than a pale shadow of what they were at their height.

_And without something like Anubis' superweapon they won't be able to change it either._

Said superweapon had been thoroughly destroyed, over the objections of some more militant elements of the Free Jaffa Nation who had wanted to claim it for themselves, and its power sources, the so-called Eyes of the Goa'uld, had been split among the Coalition members for safekeeping.

_We're damned lucky that the crazy Goa'uld never managed to get his hands on some Naquadria to enhance that weapon. If he did, we probably wouldn't have stood a chance._

O'Neill didn't know which, if any, higher powers had made it possible for them to keep the mineral's existence a secret that was only known to the Langarans and themselves but he offered them his most sincere thanks anyways.

_Though that's not all I have to be thankful for._

More personally, he had been promoted and if what he'd heard from the grapevine was correct he'd likely end up being tapped to head the U.N.'s defense fleet under George who was slated to become the Head of Homeworld Security. Sam would be promoted to Colonel and replace him as leader of SG 1, which had the benefit of making it such that they were no longer in the same chain of command.

_Which means this is my chance, _Jack thought to himself with a smile as he walked back into the cabin to find her talking to Teal'c.

"Carter, got a moment?"

"Of course, Jack." Sam said with a smile. "What about?"

"So I'm free this Friday night and I hear so are you." Jack said knowing full well that all non-essential SGC personnel had been given the day off at George's insistence. "Want to go on a date?"

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, until with a pretty blush and a sincere smile Sam nodded.

"It's a date," she said confidently, causing the whole cabin, full of friends and family, to erupt in enthusiastic cheers.

* * *

**Done!**

**Wow! This battle turned out epic. I only wish I could make all my battles this epic, but then it would take away from the truly climatic ones huh? Oh well, at least this is a benchmark that I can strive to recreate in the future. So does everyone share my opinion on this chapter? Do let me know.**

**That said, I do recognize that it still has flaws. For example, I admit that the last scene seems tacked on, but… Well, I couldn't work it in elsewhere and didn't want to split it off into its own chapter. So sorry about that. Though I hope the nod to the OTP of Stargate at the end makes up for it.**

**As for why the Chiropterans used drop pods instead of just beaming their troops into Paris? Simple. Hyperspace interdictors. Recall that Anubis' forces did have ships in the city at the time they counterattacked, ships with interdictors. To get around this, they used drop pods to send in troops and to install stations which can bypass the interdiction.**

**Visual Guide:**

**Goa'uld Mobile Armor = similar to the ******MA-04X Zakrello from the Gundam franchise  
****

**Till next time, peace out!**


	37. Interlude: The Minor Powers I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: The Minor Powers - Part 1**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi everyone!

Today, we'll be examining the galaxy's Minor Powers.

This is something that I know quite a lot of you have wanted me to cover for some time. My mailbox has been full to bursting with requests that I do so. So with the big players and the context they provide to the galaticpolitical situation as a whole outta the way, it's time to give you guys what you want.

Now first off, let me just say that though we call the powers we'll cover today minor, this is a relative term and is largely a result of comparison with the great powers like the Albion Stellar Empire and the Chiropteran Swarm. In truth, some, though not all of them, are incredibly powerful and are capable of fielding large fleets that makes Earth's pale in comparison.

That said, little is known about some of the Minor Powers so pardon me for the brevity. It is also largely why they were combined into a single entry.

**Tau'ri/Earth **

I'm a little sad to admit that my homeworld is only a minor power, but the truth is undeniable. That said, we are seen as the leader of the minor powers by virtue of our achievements despite our scarcity of resources. A tale that is truly epic and awe-inspiring … _To see more click here_

**The Reetou**

The Reetou, also spelled Re'tu, are a mostly peaceful insect-like species from Reetalia who are phased 180 degrees outside of the human range of perception, rendering them completely invisible to the unaided eye and mostly immune to projectile weapons in our phase.

They were long opposed to the Goa'uld, who after discovering them devastated Reetalia in fear of the potential threat that an invisible species could pose. For most of the time since, they have fought the Goa'uld on a small, guerilla scale across the galaxy. However, the actions of the Tau'ri and the Chiropterans and their successes against the Goa'uld swayed the Reetou into taking more open action. To this end, and with the help of Asgard matter recombinators provided to them by their allies, they have built for themselves a respectable fleet.

Unfortunately, not much is known of the Reetou's history. A lot was lost when the Goa'uld attacked Reetalia and few attempts were made to keep records during their long guerilla war. That said, with the recent peace there have been efforts to recover what they've lost and it is my sincere hope that this meets with success.

**The Hebridians**

These staunch allies of the Tau'ri are a culture where two distinctly different races, the human Hebridians and the reptilian Serrakins, live in harmony. They are a technologically advanced power and are characterized by their uber capitalist society.

I've visited Hebridan myself and liked it well enough, though its society's preoccupation with making money is off putting.

Its history is freely available on the internet so … _To see more click here_


	38. Interlude: The Coalition of Free Peoples

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: The Coalition of Free Peoples**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi folks!

Yup, your eyes aren't deceiving you. This is a double post! Why? Well, I'm feeling generous of course. That and I originally wanted this to be part of the previous post but ultimately decided to split it up. So since it was done, I thought why not give you guys a gift and release both posts at the same time.

So enough of my rambling. Let's get started on the topic of this post: The Coalition of Free Peoples.

**The Coalition of Free Peoples**

Formed to fight the common enemies of the galaxy's free peoples such as the Goa'uld Empire, Replicators and Ori, the Coalition is essentially a military, economic and political mutual assistance organization often described as a galactic version of Earth's United Nations. Though considering the generally more cooperative nature of its members and its much grander achievements, perhaps the comparison should be inverted.

There isn't much to say about the Coalition that is not already common knowledge. However, I would like to share one observation from my friend Nimue that I think few notice about it. Namely that the Chiropteran Swarm are the heart of the organization. While their military contributions to the Coalition's military actions have always been matched by the other great powers and it has not distinguished itself as a particularly vocal voice within the Coalition Assembly, the Swarm is undeniably the backbone of the organization. For unlike the other great powers, it is neither an extragalactic force nor is it one that through being a Goa'uld successor state has to overcome millennia of mistrust. Thus without the Swarm's quiet support of the Coalition and all it stands for, there is a good chance that it wouldn't exist at all.

As for its history, it is freely available on the internet so here's a link to a source I found particularly accurate … _To see more click here_


	39. Interlude: Friends, Enemies or Something

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: Friends, Enemies or Something more?**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

The Ascended Being Dr. Daniel Jackson found himself floating in an empty white void, this was not uncommon. Many areas of the Ascended Plane looked like this. What was uncommon was that he could not access his powers nor even fully grasp his memories. The last he remembered was…

_Trying to attack Anubis._

_Yes, and the Others stopped you. _The familiar voice of his mentor Oma Desala whispered into his mind.

_So this is my punishment for that? To be sealed away in an untouched portion of the Ascended Plane and forgotten? _The man asked bitterly. He had only been trying to do the right thing and this was to be his fate? How was that fair?

_It would be if the Chiropterans and Nimue had not spoken on your behalf. _Oma informed him. _Instead, they have decided to strip you of your status as an Ascended Being and return you to the material plane._

_Is that all? _Daniel asked skeptically. That sounded awfully generous of the Others. Uncharacteristically so.

_You shouldn't judge them too harshly Daniel, for all their faults they are not without mercy. While they cannot overlook your breach of one of our most sacred laws they have decided to tie this punishment with something of a reward._

_What do you mean?_

_Simple, Daniel, when you descend you'll be put in the path to a chance for happiness._

_What do you mean?_

_Good luck Daniel._

With those last parting words, Oma's presence retreated and Daniel's world was filled with an intense heat accompanied by a sense of falling. It was so very intense that he was soon overwhelmed and passed out. He thus was unconsciousness as he fell from the sky and into the orderly fields of a farm.

* * *

"He's awake!" An unfamiliar voice gasped in a language that Daniel barely recognized.

"Where am I?" He automatically said in the same language as he pushed himself to his feet in the middle of what looked suspiciously like an impact crater in the center of a field of crops that looked vaguely similarly to wheat.

"You're on my farm." A nervous looking man among the crowd clustering the crater's edge said in a language that he finally placed as something similar to the Gaelic he was using. "We're about a day's ride out of the town of Banbh."

"I'm sorry, I don't know where this Banbh is either."

The crowd murmured in confusion at that. They weren't the only ones. Daniel himself was thoroughly confused by how his memory appeared to be muddled. He could remember how to speak Gaelic, and maybe a dozen other languages besides that, but yet couldn't recall anything about himself besides his own name. He admitted as much, earning even more confused murmuring from the onlookers.

"Well hopefully it'll come back to you," the man who stood next to him said. "I don't know how you survived falling out the sky like that. Hell, I don't know how that could even happen but I'd reckon it has something to do with your confusion."

"Maybe he's a fallen god?" Someone in the crowd shouted, receiving a few assenting voices.

"No! I'm not." Daniel declared with a fervor that surprised even him.

"Well, whatever you are, you look tired." The man beside him said. "I'm the chief around here and have an empty room over at my homestead. I'm willing to put you up for a while, if you're game."

"Thank you," Daniel said offering the man a bow, feeling beyond grateful for the man's generosity.

* * *

A few days later in orbit of the same world, a single Goa'uld Ha'tak dropped out of hyperspace. On board this lone vessel was the Goa'uld Osiris and the tiny force of Jaffa that remained at her command.

_This world is pathetic. Barely any natural resources and a tiny population. I can see why the Empire took its Chappa'ai and abandoned it. _

Unfortunately for Osiris, beggars couldn't be choosers and she desperately needed to resupply. With this long forgotten agrarian world being the only safe option for parsecs what with the Free Jaffa and Nimue's forces aggressively hunting her down, she had no choice but to come here.

"Jaffa, kree!" She shouted to the slave soldiers around her. "Assemble a force and go down to that planet and round up some supplies from the locals. Food, water, and anything you might think is useful. And take some of them as slaves as well. We need more crew and some breeding stock."

"Yes, my lord." The Jaffa who had taken the position of her First Prime, her previous one having been killed when she fled the collapse of Anubis' power base, said with a salute before walking off to carry out her will.

* * *

A few hours later, Osiris looked down from a catwalk overlooking the central storage hold of her Ha'tak as her slaves tallied her newly acquired supplies. She took a particular interest in the new slaves the Jaffa had brought up, assessing their utility as crew. Much to her disappointment, they were, as expected, a bunch of uneducated farmers who knew next to nothing about crewing a starship. Which while normally ideal as it meant they were unlikely to be able to sabotage her ship, it also meant that she would have to waste time training them on the appropriate 'rites'.

_Time I do not have. _Osiris mused irritably as she continued scanning the new slaves hoping against hope that there was a diamond around the rough. If they had anything even resembling a scholar that might be able to educate the rest, she'd been at least somewhat assuaged. Much to her surprise however, if her eyes weren't deceiving her then her hopes were far exceeded.

_Daniel Jackson!? Here? How?_

As far as the Goa'uld knew he was an Ascended Being, yet here he was and if her hasty scans with her kara kesh were to be believed completely human.

_If those are correct then I've hit a goldmine!_ Osiris realized, a victorious smirk spreading across her face at her good fortune. _If can extract his memory as an Ascended Beings and learn even a fraction of the secrets they hold, I'll able to leverage that for everything I need to rebuild my power base._

Scanning Jackson again with her kara kesh just to be sure, she once more received confirmation that he was indeed human.

_I'll need to be careful not to harm him too much though. _She mused, some of her exuberance fading. _If I can't steal his Ascended secrets then my next best option would be to trade him back to the Tau'ri and they'll want him intact._

That idea sounded almost as enticing as the idea of pulling Ascended secrets from his mind. Jackson's best friend O'Neill had, if her admittedly outdated information been correct, just come into a position of significant power on Earth and would undoubtedly pay a great deal for his safe return.

_Either way I'll still gain. Truly this is a stroke of luck._

That the idea of hurting Jackson at all caused great unease in her host just made it even _more _appealing to Osiris.

* * *

Immediately after her discovery, Osiris had given her Jaffa orders to deliver Jackson to her quarters in two hours before retreating there herself to prepare herself. There she took a bath and changed into a set of particularly provocative nightclothes.

_It is appropriate I suppose that I have managed to come to identify with my host's feminine gender since I've acquired it._

It would certainly prove useful for what she had planned. Something that was further helped along by liberally filling her rooms with Nish'ta, the drug hopefully being effective in not only assisting in binding Jackson's will to her own but also in putting him in a suggestive state that would allow her to extract the memories she desired.

"My lord, the human has arrived." A Jaffa announced through the intercom built into the door.

_Show time. _Osiris thought to herself with a smirk.

"Send him in," she commanded as she took up a suggestive pose on the central bed, reclining in such a way as to hint at every feminine curve of her host's body.

The door opened and Jackson stumbled in, before snapping shut behind him leaving the two alone.

"Hello Daniel," Osiris said in the most sultry tone she could twist her host's voice into. It paled in comparison to the courtesans and concubines that the Goa'uld had encountered in the past, but it was enough. At her voice, Jackson's eyes snapped towards her and widened in shock at what she knew was a wonderfully alluring sight.

"You know my name? How?" The man said, sounding confused.

_Why wouldn't I know who he is? Does he have amnesia? If he does… then this might just be easier than I thought._

Particularly as Jackson's eyes showed that he was clearly interested in bedding her. His eyes were already straying, trailing up and down her body with the beginnings of lust in their depths.

"Of course I know who you are Daniel," Osiris purred gesturing for him to come join her on the bed which he hesitantly did, sitting as far away from her as he could manage. "I know you very well."

"What do you mean?" The human asked sounding pathetically confused.

Osiris ignored him for a moment before pressing her body against his own, her host's supple female flesh molding into his firm male one as she leaned over his back to whisper a reply into his ear.

"We were lovers once, don't you remember?"

"Lovers?" Jackson asked, sounding lost. "Are you my wife?"

Osiris almost recoiled at the very idea, the very thought of taking a human as a spouse repulsing her, but suppressed it. Instead, she leaned in to play her breath seductively along the Tau'ri's neck.

"No," Osiris confessed. "But we did come close. Once."

"Once," the now very stiff and she was sure very _hard _human said breathlessly. "But if you're not my wife, not Sha're then- Sha're!"

Suddenly the man jumped to his feet, sending Osiris tumbling back onto the bed. She hissed in irritation, her mask of the seductress breaking for a moment, and spun towards the human. Who seemed to be having some kind of fit.

"Sha're! No! Teal'c, don't shoot! Don't!" Jackson screamed before passing out.

_What just happened? _Osiris asked herself, thoroughly confused by this turn of events.

* * *

It was a balmy fall day and Daniel found himself in a study session with Sarah Gardner in the university library. He was supposed to be reading a book about the adventures of SG1 as part of the research for his upcoming paper. The book was even right in front of him, but he was too busy sneaking glances at the attractive Sarah to absorb any of it.

_She's so pretty. _Daniel thought to himself dreamily as the beautiful fall sun lit her blonde hair into a halo.

Abruptly though the scene around him changed and Daniel suddenly found himself sitting at the kitchen counter in his apartment in Colorado Springs.

"Daniel," his beautiful wife Sha're said as she walked over from the other side of the counter and kissed him in greeting.

As he pulled back from the loving kiss, Daniel couldn't help but muse that with her beautiful, tanned Middle-Eastern features Sha're looked like a princess straight out of the Arabian Nights.

"Husband," Sha're said, pulling him from the fantastical turn his thoughts had taken. "There is something I need to tell you."

_I wonder what it could be? She can't be pregnant right? I didn't notice anything that would suggest that._

"Go right ahead." Daniel said with a smile, eager to know what she had to say.

"Daniel, my love, you are free to move on and find happiness."

Daniel was confused. _What was she saying. Did she want a divorce?_

"No, Daniel, not a divorce." Sha're said with a sad shake of her head. "I am dead, my love. I have been for years. You shouldn't hold himself back for the sake of my memory."

"Sha're, what are you saying? You can't be dead. You're standing right here."

Sha're looked even more sad as she shook her head once more.

"This is a dream, husband, and I am but a figment of your imagination. One who _knows_, like you do, that the real Sha're would agree with what I just told you."

As if in response to her words, their surroundings fell away and was replaced by a black void filled with innumerable mirror shards, each of which was replaying a snippet form his previously lost memories.

"Sha're, please don't." Daniel cried out while desperately reaching out for his wife.

Smiling sadly, the woman stepped away.

"You need to free Sarah from Osiris." Sha're told him.

"I don't want Sarah," Daniel insisted reaching out again but again Sha're stepped back staying just out of his reach. "I only want you."

"Sha're is your past husband," the image of his wife said as she shattered into a million pieces though her voice lingered. "Sarah though, she can be your future, but only if you embrace it."

With this last pearl of wisdom, Daniel's world went black.

* * *

The former Ascended Being woke up in a spartan room, not that he particularly noticed. For a long moment, he just stared up at the ceiling and contemplated what had happened to him.

"Damn it Oma," he cursed once everything finished falling into place in his head. "How is stranding me onboard a Ha'tak with a Goa'uld infesting my 'chance for happiness' and with nothing but my wits, a good idea? What were you thinking you crazy old woman?"

He wasn't expecting a reply, but nevertheless heard the faint whisper of a nervous, guilty laugh.

_Well, at least Oma is still watching out for me it seems. Guess that's gotta count for something even if she can't do anything to help me._

Sighing, Daniel pushed himself off his bed and noted that the room he found himself in wasn't a slave pen or holding cell. In fact, despite its lack of extravagance it looked like it was a guest suite.

"Why would Osiris put me here?" The veteran member of SG1 mused to himself as he surveyed his room for anything he might find useful and came up with nothing. His teammates might have made use of some of the stuff he could see, but he lacked their skill in that department.

_Guess I'll have to try my hand with the guard empty handed then. Joy._

Walking over to the room's door controls, Daniel activated the built-in intercom and did his best impersonation of a sacred, confused, totally harmless human.

"Um, can anyone hear me?" Daniel said in Gaelic, deciding it would be best to continue feigning amnesia for now.

"What is it human?" A tinny, translated voice replied.

"Oh, thank the gods! I, uh, have I offended the goddess? I don't know what happened and I- Am I going to die?" Daniel said, doing his best to pretend to be hyperventilating.

"Human, calm down!" The voice through the door barked, but Daniel just kept going doing his best all the while to make his breathing ever more labored.

"Human, can you hear me? Human?" The voice was sounding panicked now. _Good._

Just as Daniel hoped, the door to the room opened and a lone Jaffa rushed in. Through the open doorway, the archaeologist noticed that there were no other guards -S_trange. Is Osiris so shorthanded that she could only afford to leave one guard?_-, which suited him just fine.

He kept up his act until the Jaffa got within arms reach before he lashed out with punch to the man's face, knocking him back before proceeding to utilize all the unarmed skill that Teal'c and Jack had drilled in him to first knock the man's Staff Weapon out of his reach before then stealing his zat. With the sidearm in hand, he leapt away. The Jaffa foolishly tried to use the opening to reach for his Staff and left himself open as the human proceeded to stun him with a single shot.

_That was a lot easier than I expected. _Daniel noted with a frown as he picked up the stunned man's Staff Weapon. _I guess all that training _really _did me some good after all._

* * *

That particular sentiment was one that returned to Daniel a lot over the next fifteen minutes or so as he snuck his way through the seriously undermanned Ha'tak to what he remembered was a secondary Pel'tak on this class of ship. The skills ingrained into him by training with his teammates and through countless missions allowing him to avoid being discovered on more than one occasion by the sparse but still present crew of the mothership.

As skilled as he was realizing he was though, he knew that if he was to accomplish anything here, even if it was just escape, he was going to need help. The Tok'ra's especially if he wanted to save Sarah.

"**There he is!**" Osiris' booming perversion of his old friend's voice sounded just as he rushed into the Pel'tak however told him that it seemed his skill hadn't bought him as much time as he'd hoped.

Killing the startled couple of Jaffa manning the secondary bridge, having had no time to rely on his zat, he moved to buy himself more time. With a few quick commands to the room's door controls, Daniel hastily sealed it behind him and destroyed its control crystals for good measure. Acting as quickly as he could, and lamenting Sam and Teal'c's absence, the archaeologist accessed the Ha'tak's subspace comms and using his probably very outdated authentication codes contacted the SGC.

_I really hope they don't write it off as a fluke. I know General Hammond wouldn't, but-_

His worries were put to rest when the viewscreen in front of his console cleared to show a disbelieving and unfamiliar general answering the call.

"Dr. Jackson!?" The general said, sounding shocked.

"Yes, it's me." Daniel said, glancing behind him as he heard the first Staff blasts hitting the reinforced door he'd sealed.

"Prove it."

For a moment Daniel was at a lost as to what to say, but then he spotted Walter manning a console in what he presumed was the Stargate Operations Room and was hit with inspiration.

"Walter," the SGC veteran said with an apologetic frown. "You sampled some of the Jaffa snacks Teal'c had brought to the base once and had a serious case of the runs. I found out about it when I met you in the toilet well after your shift."

Blushing lightly, Walter nodded. "That's Dr. Jackson, alright. I never told anyone else about that."

The sound of a plasma bolt slamming into the sealed door intensified.

"Dr. Jackson, is that the sound of Staff bolts?"

"Yes," Daniel confirmed even as he hastily inputted a fresh set of commands into the ship's systems. "Look, I don't have much time. I've been captured and would really like some help getting home."

_Huh. I don't remember working with Goa'uld technology being so easy. Maybe I retained some of the knowledge of an Ascended Being?_

"Rest assured, Dr. Jackson. Just hang in there. We'll send help as soon as we can."

Before the scholar could offer his thanks, the door gave way behind him and he was forced to cut the link. Just as he did though, the ship was rocked by an explosion.

"**What have you done?**" Osiris demanded as he swept into the room with a retinue of Jaffa.

"Nothing much," Daniel informed the Goa'uld with a smirk. "Just overloaded your hyperdrive. That was probably it exploding from the strain."

Osiris twisted Sarah's face into a hideous snarl even as he raised her hand and using his kara kesh fired a powerful kinetic energy wave that sent Daniel crashing into a bulkhead and into unconsciousness.

* * *

Daniel regained consciousness with a scream as agony coursed through his body courtesy of a Rod of Anguish being jabbed into his ribs by a Jaffa while he was held in place by two other men. As his torturer pulled the Rod away, giving the archaeologist a reprieve, Daniel noted that he'd been moved to the ship's primary Pel'tak.

"Awake at last Jackson?" Osiris asked with a malicious grin. "Good. I want you to _know _what you've cost me _and_ what your defiance will cost you."

Daniel just looked at Osiris like he was an idiot. _What's with Goa'uld and their need to grandstand? It can't just be the influence of the Sarcophagus. Yu and Nimue's version of the thing eliminated the mind altering side effects but both of them are still totally in love with grandiose symbolism._

Clearing unaware of the Tau'ri's deprecating thoughts on his kind, Osiris kept monologuing.

"Thanks to you my slaves will take weeks to repair the hyperdrive!" He ranted. "Weeks I do not have now that you're given away my location to the Tau'ri."

Daniel ignored the former System Lord and tried to appeal to Sarah. "Sarah, just hang in there a little longer. I'll save you. I promise."

It seemed it was Osiris' turn to look at him like an idiot.

"Are you a fool Jackson?" Osiris sneered. "Or have you simply forgotten that a Goa'uld's control over their host is absolute. Even if your precious Sarah Gardner can hear you, she cannot do anything."

He probably would have continued taunting Daniel, maybe tortured him a little more but fortunately he was interrupted by alarms blaring.

As one, all the Pel'tak's occupants turned to the primary viewscreen as it showed a Earth _Prometheus _and a Ha'tak, that Daniel hoped belonged to the Tok'ra, exit hyperspace just ahead of them.

"My lord, the Tau'ri ship is hailing us."

"Pull it on screen," Osiris said adjusting the dress he wore to look more regal.

"This is Colonel Paul Emerson of the _USS Atlas_." A clean cut man in military coveralls introduced himself. "Osiris, release Dr. Jackson and surrender immediately or be fired upon."

"I have a counterproposal _Colonel Emerson_," Osiris said, pouring as much disdain into the name of the _Atlas_' CO and raising his kara kesh towards Daniel. "Stand down or I'll kill your precious Dr. Jackson."

"Emerson," Daniel shouted. "Atta-"

Daniel didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Osiris activated his kara kesh and shot a stream of energy at his head that filled it with an intense pain.

"Open fire! We're coming Dr. Jackson. Hold on!" Emerson barked, sounding furious even as the comms link was severed.

The Colonel was true to his word as almost immediately the ship rocked violently and Osiris stumbled, breaking the connection with Daniel.

"What was that?"

"My lord, the enemy have opened fire. Shields are down to 20%."

"Return fire and pull us away!"

"I'm trying, my lord!" The hapless Jaffa at the command console shouted. "But they're not letting us get aw-"

He was cut off as the ship shook violently once more and sparks flew from the walls.

"Shields are dead! Sub-light disabled."

"Damn it! Hail them! We still have Jackson, we just need to rem-"

Osiris never got to finish her sentence before flashes of white light filled the Pel'tak as accompanied by the sound of a gentle chime, dozens of marines materialized all around them with their weapons raised.

To their credit, Osiris' Jaffa reacted quickly and raised their Staff Weapons. However, they were barely able to get a shot off before they were filled with lead and crumpled to the ground dead. Osiris however had the benefit of a personal shield, however he was outgunned and trapped, and he knew it. Despite that, it seemed that he wasn't quite ready to give up.

"You won't take me alive!" The Goa'uld howled defiantly as he drew a blade from the folds of his dress.

That was as far as he got however, as Daniel tackled him. His slow speed allowing him to pass through the imperfect shield and slam into the Goa'uld's side. Grabbing hold of the hand with the knife, the archaeologist and the former System Lord struggled. The latter trying to stab either his opponent or his host, while the formed repeatedly tried to disarm him.

At first it seemed they were evenly matched, Daniel was weak from his torture and Osiris gave his host's body enhanced strength. However, there was a limit to how much of a boost even a Goa'uld could give its host and her lower muscle mass allowed Daniel to eventually overpower her.

Slamming the hand with the knife into the deck of the Pel'tak repeatedly, he forced Osiris to drop the knife which a helpful marine quickly kicked away. Daniel meanwhile wrestled Osiris into a submission hold, grabbing and tossing his kara kesh aside in the process.

"Anyone with a zat?" Daniel asked breathlessly.

"Allow me, Dr. Jackson." One of the marines said as he drew one of the aforementioned weapons and fired a single shot, stunning the still struggling Goa'uld.

Allowing the now limp form of Osiris to fall to the floor, Daniel stood back and caught his breath.

"Thanks for the rescue guys," Daniel said sincerely.

"Didn't look like you needed much help." The marine who had zated Osiris joked as he offered Daniel a hand.

Daniel just chuckled, even as he watched the marines secure Osiris with some zip ties.

"Don't worry about her, Dr. Jackson." The marine assured him. "There's a reason we came here with the Tok'ra. Dr. Gardener will be right as rain soon enough."

Daniel just nodded gratefully.

* * *

Sarah Gardner opened her eyes of her own accord for the first time in years to find herself in an unfamiliar looking infirmary. She would have panicked, if not for the comforting presence of her old friend Daniel Jackson by her bedside.

"Hi Sarah," the man who had saved her life said with a tired, worried smile.

"Daniel, what happened?" The woman asked in a nervous ramble. "I can't feel Osiris. What happened to her? The last thing I remember was you overpowering her and getting stunned."

"Calm down, Sarah, calm down." Daniel said reassuringly. "Everything's alright. Osiris is dead."

"How?" Sarah asked disbelievingly. She couldn't accept, without any proof, that her tormentor, the snake that had stolen her body, was missing.

"The Tok'ra extracted him from your body and then killed him. I was there. He's dead."

If it was anyone else who told her that, Sarah probably wouldn't have believed them. But this was _Daniel_ and after everything he'd done for her… How could she doubt him?

"Oh thank god," Sarah said with a choked sob as she curled in on herself.

"Let it all out, Sarah." Daniel urged pulling her into a hug. "All of it. I'll be here to help you deal with it. All the way."

A deeply touched Sarah could only oblige, crying her heart out into Daniel's shoulder.

* * *

**There you have it folks, Daniel's pairing in this verse of mine.**

**I know quite a few people in the Stargate fandom like pairing him with Vala but I honestly dislike her. To me she just seems such an unnecessary insert into an already rich cast of characters. And, yes, I know that the show needed to insert new blood by that point, for various reasons, **_**but **_**the way they did it with Vala was just terrible imho. Honestly, single handedly hijacking the **_**Prometheus**_**? And the whole backstory about being a host to a Goa'uld Queen, that's fanfic stuff! I know should know, this is one! Especially, because it's like largely irrelevant! Why include it when it's not gonna add anything to the story. At least my making Nimue a Queen was so she could populate her domain with her own children, all of whom are genetically predisposed to be loyal to her. Surely, the professional writers of Stargate SG-1 could come up with a slightly less Mary Sue character. **

**As a result of this dislike, instead of following canon in terms of Daniel's pairing, I've decided to pair our resident warrior scholar with someone who I think he had more chemistry with. That she's an underused character in canon is just another plus as I enjoy giving those a bit more of a spotlight when I can.**

**Well, that's all there's to say for this chapter. So till next time, peace out!**


	40. New Galactic Age

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Chapter 28: New Galactic Age**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

Oma Desala bit her lips nervously as she knocked on the door to the Chiropterans' Parisian cafe inspired haunt on the Ascended Plane.

A Japanese looking young woman dressed in all black outfit consisting of a long sleeve loose blouse with a fancy bow tied around her collar and a sheath skirt opened the door for her.

"You do know you didn't need to knock right?" The Chiropteran Hive Queen asked, sounding thoroughly amused even as she gestured for the Ancient to come in.

"I know. I just wanted to be polite."

"There's being polite and being silly." The other woman said. "And I think knocking on a door to an open cafe is bordering on the latter."

Oma blushed at that.

"Sister, stop teasing the poor woman." A girl identical to the one who had opened the door for her but dressed in a white kimono with snowflake designs printed on said as she walked daintily over.

"And Ms. Oma," the new arrival said as she turned her attention to the Ancient and gesturing to a table at the far end of the cafe. "Our mothers are waiting for you inside."

"Thank you, ladies." The Ancient said with a gracious bow, before proceeding in the indicated direction.

As she crossed the room, she saw the eye of dozens of twins, the various Hive Queens of the Chiropteran Swarm, turn to observe her warily. The girls truly did run the gamut of physical appearance. All beautiful, but each pair in their own individual way. There were the the petite, child like pair sitting at a booth by the windows and sharing a large sundae and the Japanese looking pair from the door, but everything else in between as well. It seemed almost like every possible variation of feminine human beauty was on display in the room.

If Oma was a younger woman she might have even been tempted, but she unfortunately was not. And she was here on a mission besides.

"Saya, Diva," the Ancient greeted as she reached the table she was looking for. "Good evening."

"Hello, Oma." The red Swarm Queen greeted politely while her twin satisfied herself with a nod and a flinty, cautious glare.

"Why are you here, Ancient?"

"Diva! Be polite."

"I'll be once I know why this woman is here." Diva retorted. "Ancients never visit us. And suddenly this woman shows up? Sorry, if I'm a little suspicious."

Saya looked ready to chide her sister once more, but Oma cut in before she could.

"I'm here to offer my thanks," the Ancient said with a deep grateful bow. "It is thanks to you that Anubis, my ancient mistake, was finally dealt with."

"Yeah, without _any_ of your help too."

"Whilst I wouldn't quite be so snarky about it, I do agree with Diva's sentiments there. Why didn't you do anything?"

"It's a hollow excuse, but it's because the Others wouldn't let me. Seeing Anubis run amuck was part of my punishment."

"How barbaric," Diva noted snidely. "So much for the most enlightened race in the known universe."

"They had their reasons," Oma defended her peers halfheartedly. "Furthermore, Anubis very carefully made sure to never do anything that could be counted as an abuse of his status as an Ascended Being, so they were hamstrung by their own rules. Though I won't deny that some took vindictive pleasure in seeing me suffer at the sight of what I'd wrought."

"You're lucky we and Nimue aren't as limited as you and your ilk are." Saya told her seriously. "Or the Milky Way would be under Anubis' thumb by now."

"Indeed," Oma acknowledged. "And for that you have my eternal gratitude."

"Is that all?" Diva asked with a calculating gleam in her eyes.

"If I could offer you something I would, but the Others-"

"Perhaps not now," Diva cut her off. "But in the future, should you be able, you'll owe us a favor. Deal?"

"Deal." Oma agreed easily.

"Then I believe this business about Anubis is done." Saya declared firmly. "Would you like some coffee or would you prefer some tea?"

Oma blinked in confusion for a moment as she absorbed the sudden shift in the conversation. "Uh, coffee?"

"Good choice," Diva said as she conjured a cup of hot coffee in front of the Ancient. "Our tea tastes terrible. That's more Nimue's thing. Anyways enjoy."

Oma could just nod, totally confused how her attempt to offer her gratitude to the Chiropteran Swarm Queens for dealing with Anubis had evolved into a tea party of all things.

* * *

Aboard the ancient Hasara space station, two long time friends met in person once more in what had once been the Council Chambers for the High Council of System Lords.

Clinking their glasses together, Nimue and Yu shared a toast.

"To the demise of the Goa'uld Empire," the two former System Lords cried as they pulled their cups back and sipped from the well aged rice wine that Yu had brought for the occasion.

"The Empire has left behind so many wonderful treasures for us to claim, such as this station, hasn't it?"

Yu nodded. "However, even without the spoils, just the knowledge that we have defeated the foe we've worked thousands of years towards toppling is prize enough."

"Agreed," Nimue said taking another sip of her wine. "That and the chance to build a better, more progressive Empire are the true rewards."

"Indeed," Yu said raising his cup for another toast. "To a better future."

"To a better future," Nimue echoed as she clinked her cup against her friend's once more.

* * *

While Nimue and Yu were working hard at trying to get their Goa'uld enhanced bodies drunk, Saya and Diva were having a decidedly more sober time at the signing ceremony in the Headquarters of the United Nations on Earth that would see the formal creation of the Coalition. They had been the first signatories to the founding documents and were now standing back watching the others take their turn.

_I know everyone is in a celebratory mood. And there is much to celebrate, _Saya sent to her sister, her thoughts oozing frustration. _But there's still the Goa'uld Remnant to worry about._

_Calm down, sister, or you'll spoil the ceremony. _Diva warned and Saya reined her annoyance in a tad though mentally at least her feelings remained intense. _I don't see why you're upset to be honest. It's not like we aren't continuing the fight. The end of the war with Anubis doesn't mark the end of all hostilities. It definitely isn't stopping Vivian and Yu, both of whom are hellbent on fighting till the Goa'uld Empire is truly nothing more than a memory._

_I suppose, you're right. _Saya grudgingly admitted. _Talking about Vivian and Yu, why aren't they attending the ceremony in person?_

_Are you kidding me, sister? _Diva sent back, peeved that Saya would even ask that question. _You know full well that Vivian would sooner die than come to Earth to face the potential of dealing with her past and the Wizarding World._

_That's true, but what about Yu?_

_He's probably using Nimue's refusal to attend as an excuse to not visit a world he knows harbors no small amount of hostility towards him. _Diva explained. _He likely wants to avoid having to deal with an assassination attempt._

_Sounds about right. _

_Now before you derail the conversation again, sister, I have something important to ask you._

_What is it? _Saya asked, sounding embarrassed that she'd been caught.

_Returning to our talk about the Goa'uld Remnant. Now that the snakes are largely defeated, I hope you'll agree to scaling back our operations against them so we can shift some attention and resources back towards growing the Swarm?_

_I have no objection. _Saya acquiesced easily. _With the Goa'uld Empire all but beaten, it is time to change priorities._

_Thank you, sister. _Diva sent back with a healthy dose of gratitude. _This means a lot to me._

Saya had to fight the blush on her face at that. Well that and the lewd direction her thoughts had taken as she contemplated what she could leverage that gratitude into later that night.

* * *

In the guest suite in the SGC assigned to Sarah as she recovered from her time as Osiris' unwilling host, Daniel leaned back against the headboard next to Sarah as they both watched the signing ceremony of the Coalition's founding documents on the wall mounted television. He was a little distracted though, because he was technically _sharing a bed_ with the woman. Their relationship hadn't quite advanced to the point as to warrant it, at least in his mind. Sarah was still a little too mentally fragile. Unfortunately though, with the television mounted directly in front of the bed, the aforementioned piece of furniture was the most comfortable place from which to view it. And Sarah had insisted he be comfortable.

_If only she knew how uncomfortable pushing the limits of our relationship makes me. _

Though if Daniel had been a little less nervous, he might've been able to catch the small amused grins Sarah sported at his nervous fidgeting and realized that pushing his limits was exactly what she intended.

"Look isn't that Teal'c," Sarah said, smothering a grin as she pointed to the screen. "Whose that woman in the leather armor with him?"

"That's Ishta of the Hak'tyl Resistance," Daniel informed her dutifully, losing some of his anxiety as he fell into the familiar role of information provider. "They're attending together while acting as representatives of their respective Free Jaffa factions."

"I see." Sarah said, not bothering to hide her smile. "Look at the how close they're standing together. I'm betting that if they weren't at a formal event, they'd be holding hands. They might be hiding it, but they're so obviously a couple."

"Are they?" Daniel asked, leaning forward and adjusting his glasses to take a closer look. "Hmm, I think you're right."

"I _am _right," Sarah insisted. "I'm a woman and we _know _these things."

"I'll trust your judgement then," Daniel replied with a chuckle. "I do hope you're right though. Teal'c deserves to find happiness."

Sarah nodded and reached over to take his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Sarah?" Daniel asked, looking at her curiously.

"We're obvious too, you know." The frizzy haired blonde said in a hopeful whisper. "Does that mean you have the same hope for us?"

"Of course," Daniel informed her with a confident smile.

Returning the smile, Sarah leaned back but didn't release his hand.

"So who are these Hak'tyl? I've never heard of them."

"They're formally called the Hak'tyl Resistance." Daniel helpfully informed her. "There are a group of female Jaffa who once served the Goa'uld Moloc. When he decreed that only male Jaffa would survive, having begun to believe that the female Jaffa were weaklings, Ishta, one of Moloc's high priestesses organized an underground movement to spirit infant girls to a all but forgotten world called Hak'tyl."

"Moloc was really that much of an idiot?" Sarah asked incredulously. "I mean, if Osiris' memories are to believed, he was always a little weird, but this just takes the cake."

"Sarah?" Daniel asked, worried at Sarah's mention of Osiris.

"It's alright Daniel," Sarah reassured him. "I can't ignore what she did to me, that would hurt more. Better to just acknowledge it and work past it."

Daniel frowned worriedly, but nodded. If that's how Sarah wanted to handle her experience as a Goa'uld host then so be it. He would support her all the way.

"Anyways," Sarah said loudly to get the conversation back on track. "Moloc is an idiot. I mean Nimue's ship crews are all female Jaffa and they're the most disciplined, well trained void sailors in the whole galaxy. Everyone knows that. How could he think women were weak?"

Daniel shrugged. "I honestly have no idea, but he did. Perhaps, he really was just being an idiot? His actions _did _lay the groundwork for one of the most powerful factions of Free Jaffa in the galaxy, and this despite their heavy losses in the Replicator War."

"Are they really?" Sarah asked, surprised.

"I'm not exaggerating," Daniel told her. "If anything, I might be underselling them."

"They sound incredible."

"They are."

"Hopefully with people like them around upholding the peace, the galaxy can finally enjoy some relative peace." Sarah said hopefully. "Recently, it's just been one war after another without end."

"You and me both, Sarah." Daniel agreed, squeezing her hand in comfort and earning himself a grateful smile.

Their moment was cut short when an announcement from the television caught both their attention and both archaeologists turned to it as the first major new joint initiative of the Coalition was unveiled.

"Thanks to datamining of the Tau'ri's copy of the Ancient Repository of Knowledge," the Coalition Secretary General, a Ohne, said to the billions of viewers watching the event across the galaxy. "We have managed to discover the Stargate coordinates for a Ancient Cityship located in the Pegasus galaxy and the means by which to establish the intergalactic Gate connection needed to reach it. As such, the Coalition intends to send an expedition to the ship in the hopes of studying and possibly recovering the relic."

The Secretary General continued outlining just what this expedition would entail, but neither archaeologist paid him any more attention instead having turned to each other.

"Daniel, are you taking what I'm thinking?"

"You want to join the expedition?"

"Don't you?"

"Very much so," Daniel said with a smirk. The chance to study a relic of the Ancients? One that was possibly intact? He would give an arm and a leg for the chance.

"Together then?" Sarah suggested with a tentative smile.

_I would like nothing more in this world. _

"Together." Daniel agreed, with a smile.

* * *

Even as the Coalition of Free Peoples began truly getting on its feet, in a forgotten corner of space formerly controlled by the Goa'uld Empire, Vala Mal Doran, thief, con artist and former host to the Goa'uld Queen Qetesh watched with satisfaction as the Heavy Staff Cannon she'd acquired and modified into a drill finally broke through a wall and into one of Ra's old vaults in the abandoned pyramid on the barren desert world where she'd found herself.

She was a beautiful woman with long black hair with an athletic figure, not that any of it was visible underneath the Kull power armor she was sporting just in case. It was a dangerous galaxy out there at the moment and a girl needed an extra something to remain safe. The Coalition might talk a big talk, but they'd hardly filled the power vacuum they'd created by toppling the Goa'uld Empire. Though that also created plenty of opportunities for people like her.

An opportunity like the motherlode that she'd just struck. Walking into the vault she couldn't help but gush at the treasures within. There was the obligatory mounds of precious metals and gems of course, but scattered all throughout were the real treasures! Technological trinkets that to the right buyers would likely be worth more than all the minerals in the vault two, maybe three times over.

"I've really hit the jackpot here!" Vala crowed as she wandered through the vault examining everything and looking for something that caught her fancy. Over there by the back of the vault was what looked liked a complete Shroud Tower laying on its side and just waiting to be activated. Nearby was a display of what Vala was pretty sure were magicite crystals, hundreds of them just hung up on a stand! And was that? Yes! It looked to be portions of a disassembled Asgard computer core!

"This is better than I'd ever dreamed." Vala said, practically swooning at this point when her mood got even better as she spotted something that blew everything else out of the water. There sitting unassumingly amidst a pile of Naquadah ingots and gold coins was a strange device that looked vaguely like an oil lamp.

She recognized the decorative patterns it sported though and almost drooled. Those were the patterns usually seen on the relics of the Ancients,

"This, this can't be," Vala sputtered as she ran over and picked up the device to examine it more closely. "If this is really Ancient then this little thing alone is worth more than everything here ten, maybe hundreds, of times over!"

As she crowed at her success, she was too distracted to notice as the crystal at the top of the device slowly built up a glow before suddenly releasing a burst of light that knocked her out.

* * *

Watching as Vala Mal Doran collapsed, an Ascended Being in his pure energy state shaped like a glowing formless silhouette of a man and invisible to the human, smirked as he looked down at the unconscious woman's form.

"Now everything is in place," the man said sounding pleased with himself.

"Kasuf! Do you know what you've done?" Ganos demanded as she teleported into the vault.

The man's form solidified into a bald, bearded man dressed in rugged desert garb.

"I've done what needed to be done," Kasuf of Abydos said defiantly.

"This is treachery," Ganos spat.

"Treachery?" Kasuf scoffed. "You Alterans are not my masters. I have no masters!"

"We saved you and your people when Anubis destroyed your world." Ganos countered. "You owe us loyalty for that if nothing else."

"Did you save _all _my people?" The weather beaten man said with a bitter laugh. "Only a handful of my people managed to Ascend, _most _of them died! Most of the people under my protection _died_, under _my _leadership!"

Ganos winced, she could not deny what he said. Not everyone could Ascend and despite the best efforts of Oma, only a small fraction of Kasuf's people had been saved from Anubis' bombardment.

Kasuf wasn't done ranting however.

"Besides, I wouldn't give my loyalty to fools anyways. And that's exactly what you Alterans are. You have seen for yourselves through Nimue and the Chiropterans' examples that mortals are best served by being ruled by Ascended Beings. Surely as Nimue's lover you can see that. Yet you cling to your precious ideology of non-interference."

"_You_ are the fool here, Kasuf." Ganos shot back angrily. "Neither the Chiropterans nor Nimue believe what you just said. You do not know them, especially Nimue, and have no right to claim to. Nimue does not want to rule, she is _forced _to."

"That does not change the fact that her rule has benefited the mortals under her." He refuted with a shrug.

"Excuses," Ganos accused. "You care nothing for that, all that is driving you is your desire to see the galaxy burn just like Abydos burned."

"I won't deny that."

"I cannot allow a madman like you to run free." Ganos declared, gathering a bolt of energy to attack him.

Knowing he stood no chance against the older, more powerful Ascended Being, Kasuf fled to the Ascended Plane and was horrified to discover Nimue waiting there for him with murder in her eyes.

"You bastard!" The Ascended Goa'uld cursed as she hit him repeatedly with bolts of lightning. "Thanks to your selfishness the time for war with the Ori is at hand when I'm not ready for it! You might have doomed the galaxy, you know that? You might have doomed any chance of me and Ganos ever being together again! And for that you _will _die!"

Lightning coursed through Kasuf's very soul, searing it away into nothing. All the while, pain beyond imagining coursed through his being. His screams roaring across the Ascended Plane, leaving a permanent echo on this one part of the Plane. His torment stretched on for an eternity, until finally Nimue seemed satisfied and let him die.

As she finished him off and his body crumbled, the last words he ever heard were Nimue's worried lament.

"I'm not ready."

* * *

**And done!**

**Let's go over some potential points of discussion alright?**

**First, what happened to Vala? Well, that device she tinkered with that knocked her out, it's a Ancient long-range communication device. So like canon, she's triggered it and got her consciousness transported to the Alteran Home galaxy. Unlike canon though, she won't be coming back from the trip. Yup, folks, Vala's gone. I've outlined why I dislike her in the AN accompanying the interlude that preceded this chapter so I won't repeat myself. But yeah, I don't like her much so I'm killing her off.**

**Second, why make it so not all the Abydonians survived Anubis' bombardment? Because it seems more logical. I mean, even in Canon, it's made clear that Ascension is hard and that not all people can achieve it. Thus this is a natural extension of that line of thinking.**

**Thirdly, why make Kasuf a bad guy? Simple. I needed one and considering his circumstances he fit the mold of what I wanted. As to the in-story context, I think I spelled it out quite obviously. But basically he was essentially unhinged by the deaths of so many of his people and did something very stupid.**

**Oh! And lastly, if you enjoyed the scene with Oma and the Chiropterans you have frankieu's review on Chapter 27: The Battle of Earth to thank for it. Their review reminded me that I really should give Oma's POV of all this, so I added it in. Hopefully it meets their expectations and was an enjoyable read for everyone else too.**

**That's about it folks. Till next time, peace out!**


	41. Interlude: Goa'uld Remnant

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Blood+ or Stargate.**

**The Wars of Legends**

**Book 3: The Great War of the Pharaohs**

**Interlude: Goa'uld Remnant**

**Beta:  
**

* * *

**Introduction**

Hi friends,

Today, we'll be covering the lingering ghost of the galactic powers. Even more so than the JFN. Yup, it's the Goa'uld Remnant.

**The Goa'uld Remnant**

As its name implies, the Goa'uld Remnant is the last vestiges of the old Goa'uld Empire. Its name however is a very good indication of how far the Empire has fallen. Once the galaxy's dominant power, now it is reduced to a relatively small collection of holdings in the Outer and Scutum–Centaurus Arms that amount to a mere 8% of the Empire's holdings at its height.

Despite these losses and the radical changes that have swept across the galaxy, it still rather pretentiously behaves as if the old Empire would. With the remaining System Lords reorganizing under their new Supreme System Lord, Ba'al, laying claim to the whole galaxy and its people. How this reorganization took place is not fully known due to the often byzantine nature of Goa'uld politics. Not even Nimue is fully sure.

What we do know is that after Anubis' defeat, Ba'al found himself in command of his Kull which he proceeded to use to great effect in assassinating his rivals and rapidly securing a power base. He combined this with acquiring a large portion of his former overlord's advanced technologies as well, raiding numerous secret bases that he had been privy to. As a result, despite being one of the weakest System Lords at the time of Anubis' fall, he quickly became the most powerful.

With such a cunning leader at its head, the Goa'uld Remnant's threat level cannot be underestimated. Especially as it still possesses truly formidable fleets and large Jaffa armies. Though these are steadily getting ground down by the relentless attacks from the Chiropteran Swarm, Albion and the Jade Empire, who after years of failed attempts to crush it outright have now resorted into a prolonged war of attrition that the Remnant have little hope of winning to destroy their most hated foe. This is known as the Long War.

A brief history of the Long War … _To see more click here_

A list of the remaining System Lords … _To see more click here_

* * *

**With this Book 3 of The Wars of Legends is done! That's incredible. I must admit that when I started this project, I had doubts I would get this far but I persevered and did it. I'm a lot more confident now of completing this entire project. So I hope you guys stick around for it.**

**Writing this book was also quite a ride. I honestly could see my improvement as a writer as I worked on this. It was humbling and exhilarating at the same time. I hope you guys agree with me on this point.**

**So I'm likely to be busy at my usual release time tomorrow, so I'm gonna release early instead.**

**The first chapter of the next book _Bridging Interludes _should be up in a bit, so look forward to that.**

**Well, that's it from me for now. Till the next book, ciao!**


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